Darkest Days
by cherryvixen416
Summary: The thirst for power trandsends even death, as they well know, but just what will happen when the lust goes too far?
1. Prologue: A Touch of Upheaval

_This is going through some major revisions...by the end the story should be easier to follow. That's what I'm hoping at least._

* * *

The havoc that Jenner had caused made quite a mess for the Rats of NIMH to clean up. Broken pieces of the wooden equipment lay strewn everywhere and trying to find all the original sections of rope used was a task in and of itself. The rain hadn't helped much. Soon after the rats watched in amazement as Mrs. Brisby unleashed the awesome power of the Stone to do the job they couldn't, sprinkles of rain turned into a short down poor. Regardless of how much they wanted to call it quits, it was imperative that not only every trace of the equipment be picked up, but the Rosebush itself had to be gutted to remove any evidence that the Rats of NIMH had lived there.

After Mrs. Brisby had fallen unconscious, Justin carried her to the medical ward within the Rosebush where Mr. Ages and Ash, the Rat's own doctor, had taken a look at her. Exhaustion was the only prognosis, besides the superficially scalded hands. Other than that, she was in "excellent condition, considering..." _Considering, indeed_, Justin thought. Jenner had smacked her hard, yet there was no bruise to be seen.

After that, he helped carry her back home where the children and there "Aunt" were waiting eagerly to see her. Mr. Ages had to be the one to carry her into the house, with Martin's help, for the opening was far too small for Justin to enter. That was when he met the children for the first time, except of course for bed-confined Timmy, which was a treat for him. Martin had been the most inquisitive, asking questions about how he learned to sword fight and such, or if Justin had ever drugged the cat Dragon. The oldest daughter, Teresa, seemed content just staring at him and batting her eyelashes while Cynthia mostly cowered behind her older sister, only coming out once to kiss him on the cheek.

Playtime was over after that. The rain started up again after only a small break. Justin had gone back to supervise the equipment wreckage, and more importantly, the recovery of the dead bodies of Jenner, Sullivan, and his mentor, Nicodemus. A small group had already been at work for most of the time, removing the largest sections first. Justin had given strict orders that he would handle the recovery of the bodies, and until that time the bodies were left covered in gray sheets. To help with his grisly task were Arthur, Brutus, and his top lieutenant, Orion.

They went for Sullivan first, simply because he would be the most difficult to remove. As the rain continued, it knocked around the looser pieces of wood, blocking their path to each body. _When it rains, it pours_, Justin thought as he and the other rats made their way towards Sullivan's body.

Then Justin's jaw dropped. "S-Sullivan?" he asked in a disembodied voice.

To their amazement, Sullivan was sitting up with his back against the big rock, sheet pulled aside, and a confused look on his face.

"Justin," Sullivan whispered. "Is that you? Why are you...am I, dead?"

Justin continued to stand speechless for a moment before coming to his senses. "No, your not," he answered. "But I swore you were. Jenner, he...he killed you-he cut your throat wide open, you should be dead."

Sullivan slowly placed his hand to his neck, as if to make sure his head was still attached, and pulled it away to examine it, seeing no trace of blood, it didn't even hurt to touch it, even though he somehow knew Justin spoke the truth. "I think..." he said finally, "I think I was."

By now Justin and the others had come closer, still feeling like this was a ghost before them as the rain started to take another short break. Brutus stood silently and watched. The others knelt down, Justin and Orion directly in front of Sullivan with Arthur looking on from the side. Justin lifted Sullivan's chin to see himself. There was nothing there. No blood. No scar.

"Nothing," said Arthur.

"What happened?" Sullivan asked.

Justin simply looked at him for a moment before answering, trying to find the answer to Sullivan's question, and to his own. "The rain caused a mudslide," he said. "The house began sinking straight down. We tried everything we could to stop it. We tied ropes, secured support beams, everything, but we couldn't save it. Finally it went all the way - completely under. I thought for sure the children were dead, but then Mrs. Brisby used the stone to..." Justin trailed off.

"What?" Sullivan asked, "That mouse woman? What do you mean?" He looked to the others for answers but found none.

"The stone," Justin repeated firmly. "It was the stone, it had to be!"

"What?" asked Orion.

"What are you talking about?" Sullivan asked.

"There was no way the children could have survived that. The house was completely submerged, for at least a minute. But she used the stone and it must have..." He trailed off again, but this time in bewilderment, not confusion. The stone truly had awesome power.

"Right," said Arthur, "It makes sense..."

Orion nodded in understanding as well.

"-The same with your cut," Justin said, "I saw Jenner's blade tear your neck open and...SHIT!" He cried, standing up looking around wildly. "Shit!"

"Jenner!" shouted Orion.

Justin took off running towards the other side of the stone, Brutus, Arthur, and Orion trailing behind, with Sullivan slowly getting up to follow the others as they bounded over piles of destroyed equipment. He found them standing around a wide field of mud with a dirty gray sheet, a sign of panic and distress on their faces. But it wasn't what was there that worried them, it's what _wasn't_ there.

Jenner's dead body.

(****)

Mrs. Brisby woke up surprisingly refreshed from her slumber. She was in her bed, not remembering how she got there. The only thing she could remember was Justin pulling her away from the sinking house, feeling desperate. Then the next thing she knew, a warmth had surrounded her. There was no fear, no hesitation, no doubt, then...nothing. And now she was in her home; which was obviously secure without a spec of mud to be seen. In fact the dirt walls looked as though they were packed even better than before.

She looked around and was surprised to find Mr. Ages sitting nearby; suddenly she noticed a stinging in her hands and began rubbing them.

"You were burned," Ages said softly. Mrs. Brisby had no idea what time it was but knew it must be late for him to speak so softly. _The children must be asleep_; she thought and turned around to see just that. They were all in the same bed, something she hadn't seen for a long time.

_They must have been scared_, she thought.

"It's not as bad as it looks though they should heal quickly," she looked back at Ages slightly confused. _The burns_, she realized and held her stinging hands together.

"What time is it?" She whispered.

"It's almost three. You've been out for nearly two hours. The rats have been cleaning up the mess left behind, but-"

"The rats!" she exclaimed, then caught herself and checked to see that she hadn't woken her children. "The rats, are they still here? Where's Justin?"

"No, they haven't gone yet, but very soon they will," he explained. "Justin wanted me to send for him as soon as you were awake. Are you... all right, Mrs. Brisby?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured him. "What about Justin?"

"Wait here, I'll get him."

(****)

The storm was gone by then. The sky cleared, and the moon was out. Justin made his way quickly to the Brisby's newly relocated home just in time to see Mrs. Brisby emerge from underground. He saw her face light up as he himself couldn't suppress his widening smile. _Wow_, he thought. She looked lovely under the stars. They met halfway in a tight embrace, saying nothing. Justin could feel her body tremble in his arms, but the longer he held her, the more they went away. He knew if he needed to, he would hold her all night, NIMH or no NIMH.

"Oh, Justin," she said softly. It was all she could say. Now that her children were safe her only worry was for the safety of her new friends. "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about us," he said calmly. The sound of his voice sent waves of confidence through her body as he lowered their embrace to look into her eyes. "The Rats of NIMH are always a step ahead. We're ready for everything, including this."

She looked slightly confused, "You were prepared to move?"

"Well, not entirely, no. But a few of us, Nicodemus, Arthur and myself included, always believed in a back-up plan for emergencies, should we ever be discovered. The Rosebush had been altered for years by myself and Arthur and his crew, to enable us to pull out quickly. All the wiring, the lights- ripped out. All the belongings that could be taken are out already. Everything has been buried deep within the rosebush; deeper than we ever lived. You couldn't tell _who_ had lived there."

Mrs. Brisby listened to his voice talk, knowing she could listen to it forever. Such confidence, such bravery, in many ways he reminded her of Jonathan, and the ways he could always comfort her when she was worried about their next meal, or where they would find enough clothes for the children. She noticed Justin looking very formal. His clothes were clean, definitely not the ones he had fought Jenner in, and he even wore his captain of the guard hat. He looked very impressive and mature.

"Oh, my, let me take a look at you," she said, taking a step back to admire his look. Mrs. Brisby reached over to straighten his collar a little.

"Am I everything you expected?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes, very much so," she said half playfully.

Then a streak of sadness ran through her, removing her smile. "What's wrong?" Justin asked anxiously. He didn't want to see her sad, he couldn't stand the thought.

"I'm so sorry, about..."

"About what?"

"Nicodemus," she said sighing. "What will you do without him?"

Justin shook his head laughing. "Mrs. Brisby," he said, "Nicodemus is alive."

Her eyes brightened, "What?"

"He's _alive_! Nicodemus is not dead."

She lit up again, falling back into Justin's arms, but once more was confused, "But I thought Mr. Ages said that-"

"He said Nicodemus was dead, and he was right. But Mrs. Brisby, that stone," his grip tightened on her with excitement, "when you used that stone, it did _something_. I don't know- no one knows what happened. But when you used that stone, you saved his life. You brought him back to life!"

"But, but I," she stumbled for words. "But how?"

"I don't know, but whatever it was it saved the lives of your children, and the life of Nicodemus and Sullivan..."

"What is it," she asked, noting some hesitance in his voice.

"We've gone through so much," he said slowly. "But I don't even know your first name."

"Oh," she felt embarrassed. "It's Elizabeth, Elizabeth Brisby."

"Elizabeth," he said, savoring the sound it made, as so did she. It was that voice again. Sometimes he could say things that just made her feel…secure. Like he was the only sane person left in an insane world.

"Nicodemus is alive," she said again, still bewildered.

"Yes, but he's decided to retire; something about enjoying his second chance."

"What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth Brisby, you are looking at the newly appointed leader of the rats."

She smiled and laughed with relief as they embraced again.

Justin knew he had to leave soon, but begged for time to stand still. He fought tooth and nail to suppress the sinking feeling in his stomach that reminded him of their inevitable separation. He then asked the impossible, "Come with us, Elizabeth, you and your family. Come with us to Thorn Valley."

"Oh, Justin," she said, with sadness in her voice again. "You know I can't. I wish I could. I wish I could go with you to your valley, and live in your perfect world like in the fairy tales Jonathan used to tell the children, but this place…this is our home. We don't belong." A tear began rolling down her cheek. Justin immediately wiped it away.

"I knew when I asked that you would refuse. It is best for your children, for now..." he said, fighting his own tears, knowing full well he didn't mean it the way she thought. "Timmy needs to recover, and after all, why go to all the effort to move the house if you're not going to live in it."

She laughed through her tears. That was Justin for you, never too far away from joking. "Maybe someday..." she said. "But I'm afraid we don't belong. We're not rats."

"Nonsense, that's meaningless to them," he said. "They would honor you just like they did Jonathan. But you are right, for now. You should stay here." In his heart he knew she should stay for there were darker days ahead for the Rats of NIMH, and she would be better off never seeing them, and who they would bring. He couldn't bring himself to tell her about Jenner. He couldn't do that to her, not now. He repeated her words, "Maybe someday?"

She nodded slowly, "I would like that." Elizabeth had stopped her tears and looked into Justin's eyes. He returned the gaze with every bit of emotion that she did. She held her hands tightly to his shirt, feeling his heart race underneath, pulling him closer. Justin's hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly as well. Their faces closed in together until they nearly touched, then paused for a moment that seemed like an hour. Her hand moved up to hold his shoulder as he pulled his arms around her even tighter. They closed their eyes, and kissed.

Elizabeth's body was electrified by Justin's lips. His spirit seemed to fill her body; all her troubles, all her worries about what lay ahead in the future, gone. Every inch tingled and pulsed with the feeling he gave her. Then the next thing she knew, her lips parted slightly with his, and she felt his tongue gently touch hers. She was in heaven. Her body nearly went limp in his arms as their tongues wove a soft, delicate dance. Her nerves were on fire as she felt like her heart would pound through her chest.

Justin had waited for that moment ever since he laid eyes on her. When their lips touched, nothing else mattered but her. His heart soared higher than it ever had before as his skin grew hot and his fur stood on end. And when their tongues met, he wanted to carry her away, anywhere, he just wanted her. Forget Thorn Valley, forget NIMH, all he needed was her.

And as quickly as it began, their kiss ended, both pulling away to see the other, not saying a word, because they knew what each other was going to say. Instead he just pulled her to his chest and they held each other for what felt like a small eternity.

But it still wasn't long enough.


	2. Chapter 1: Wind of Change

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 1**

**"Wind of Change"**

It had been two weeks since the Rats of NIMH abandoned the rosebush. They hadn't gotten to take half the things they wanted, but they did escape with their lives and were grateful enough for that. The most important items including all the books in the library, electric motors and wires, clothes, and kitchen supplies made it. Things such as furniture, radios, and anything too heavy, like Nicodemus's oracle and throne, had to be left behind, but not until they were buried down in the rosebush's deepest recesses. They had given a few things to Mrs. Brisby and her family such as clothing and a few books for her children to read, but they had to be sparing about this so that she wouldn't be to conspicuous to the farmers or NIMH as they dug up the rosebush.

The rat's transition to Thorn Valley went remarkably smooth. Their new Lair had been under construction for over a year, right after it had been discovered. Arthur had placed a permanent crew there to begin construction, all the while sending more rats as they were needed. First the master architects and digging crew, then electricians and bricklayers, as well as rats well versed in farming to find the best spots to use.

A network of tunnels and caverns had been built much in the same vein as the rosebush with one main difference: bigger. If Thorn Valley was going to be a permanent home, it must be ready for growth. Thorn Valley was nestled between two mountains. The Valley's base was mostly low grassland with a few shrubs and small trees. A meandering river wound through the base emptying into a large blue lake. On the opposite side of the lake, the East side, a needle leaf forest stretched out and up the mountain. In the morning the trees cast a long shadow over the Valley's floor keeping it rather cool, but not too cool for plants to grow. On the rat's side, the West, the grassland went all the way to the base of the mountain chain where the ground sloped up at a forty-five degree angle. This was the site of the main entrance, about a half hour walk from the lake and river.

The hill was not rocky at all. It contained a single tree at its base that provided roof support for the large rooms with its roots. The rest of the hill was like a large lump in the ground that extended several yards back until it reached a shear wall of rock that extended straight up thirty feet. Nothing was built too close to the cliffs to avoid any damage from falling rocks over the years. The main entrance was ten feet to the right of the tree and was large enough for many rats to get through at once. The shape was half an octagon about three feet wide and two feet tall. It had been built out of stone and wood and actually angled slightly below ground level. The entrance extended back nearly fifty feet and had been one of the tougher jobs for the rats to dig. It almost went to the rock face. The long walk way had the same dimensions as the entrance, with hard packed dirt underneath. Along the roof there was a foot wide skylight every two feet, illuminating the hallway brightly. It extended back five feet before there were any smaller halls that branched off, and in the event of a flooding rain storm, a reinforced door could extend up from the ground to seal off the entrance, as well as panels that could slide over the skylights. The rats hardly used less than fifty percent of the hallways length. It was made so long to ease development in the future.

Then smaller hallways branched off intermittently to the right and left. The right side consisted of store rooms for the farming equipment and seeds. Originally the idea was to have the living quarters on one side of the entrance, and the working quarters on the other, but Nicodemus didn't want the rats to have such a division between work time and rest time, it was too human-like and could inspire laziness. He wanted all the rats to be in contact with each other at all times of the day, and for their home to remain busy and occupied at all times, instead of all the rats being on one side during the day, and on the other side at night.

The left side was the heart of their new home. The paths were much like they were in the rose bush, some curving upward while others went down, but it was less chaotic without having to negotiate the bush's roots. No paths, except for a few, were perfectly straight, instead they wove intricately through the hillside. One reason for the irregularity of the design was to help keep the integrity of the hill, and the other was again to avoid anything too human-like. Rats preferred curving and twisting around to walking through straight halls. Living quarters were clustered in groups throughout, instead of all in one place, again for the ease of development. There was a large dining hall where all the rats could congregate easily. There was also a larger auditorium where all the rats could assemble to focus on a single speaker, similar to the council room at the rose bush. Throughout there were random lounges for deferent leisure, after all, Nicodemus wasn't all work. Some provided large game rooms, others were more quiet for reading or talking. A few even became regular stomping grounds for rats who considered themselves comedians. Such a strong nightlife only strengthened a community in Nicodemus's opinion, even if some activities were based on human ones.

The rooms and halls extended further sideways through the hill to provide working places, for there were many other jobs for the rats other than farming. There was an infirmary for the sick and injured, as well as a separate Med Lab for studying diseases and other types of chemistry including seed development, fertilizer, vaccines, and even corrosives and explosives for construction. There were class rooms for school age children that had its own separate entrance into the hill off to the left of the great tree. A gymnasium, the huge library, restrooms, offices, food storage, even wood and metal shops, all with living spaces sprinkled throughout. Many rooms had a separate skylight, and _every_ room had the one thing that the Rats of NIMH could not live without.

Electricity.

Nicodemus knew that they had to have electricity. Their society was based on its power, but they had to be able to produce it themselves. That's when they developed their solar panels. They had been studying solar technology for several years before the move, knowing they couldn't steal electricity forever, but it wasn't until they moved to Thorn Valley that they could utilize it from materials they had collected over time from expeditions to nearby towns. The panels were located up high on the cliff top, out of view and connected via dozens of yards of electrical cable. While solar energy was not very efficient for most humans, it provided more than enough for the rats small community. The power ran to a large generator designed completely by Arthur. It was set up much like a box of circuit breakers, with switches controlling how much power went to what part of the Lair. There was also a back up generator that was constantly being charged, should there ever be a malfunction with the solar panels.

Most of the preliminary construction on Thorn Valley had been complete, with nearly sixty rats living there already. The rooms that were still unfinished were the auditoriums, living quarters, and lunch room, simply because since the whole community hadn't moved yet, there was no need to complete those rooms. However, there was still some major work that needed to be done.

The plumbing designed for their new home wasn't working. Somewhere there had been miscalculations and the end result was a plumbing network that only worked for half of the lair. Most of the rats had dropped their smaller projects and worked day and night to correct the problem by installing makeshift pumps and more piping. The situation was compounded in frustration by the other major utility that wasn't ready yet.

There was no heat. It had been remarkable that the rat crew at Thorn Valley had made it through the winter. Arthur had designed heating coils to be installed in most rooms, but the prototypes were not efficient enough, and would drain the batteries charged by the solar panels. All they could do was run a few of the coils on an hour timer at night when it was the coldest, but anymore than that was too much and would blow their specially designed circuit breakers. During the spring it wasn't as cold, but it was by no means comfortable. Except for a few hours in the late afternoon, the rat's could see their breath misting as they breathed. Fortunately the cold was not unbearable and could be cured with extra clothing and blankets.

The Thorn Valley Rats received quite a surprise when the rest of the community showed up six months ahead of time. It was a given that they were moving to Thorn Valley, aside from Jenner's weak attempts to stop them. So much effort had been put into it that even he knew a move was inevitable. Immediately upon their arrival, most of the rats began to work on an alternative heat source. The time needed to study and design more efficient heating coils simply wasn't there for Arthur with the plumbing problems and the serious lack of furniture. What he came up with was not a permanent solution, but it was good enough for the time being.

Arthur designed a system powered by wood burning stoves. A small stove made out of rocks and clay was built in each room that would be lived in, the larger rooms and laboratories simply had to be sacrificed, and a network of pipes that connected the stoves was installed. The pipes went out various utility exits and had a fan attached to draw out the smoke. The only problem was that the fans weren't strong enough. Smoke would pour back into the rooms. The only solution was to burn very little wood and rely on the heat the stoves absorbed. All other construction was put on hold until the plumbing situation was resolved, except for a small group that worked all hours of the day building furniture for the rest of the community, and only necessary furniture at that.

One room that was complete was Nicodemus's quarters, located off in a low traffic area between the library and meeting hall. His new abode was slightly larger than the old one, but a bit more bare due to the quick move. Justin was there, as he was at least once a day, accumulating advice on how to run the Valley Lair. Justin's official title was "Governor," and Nicodemus knew that Justin was the best pick-the _only_ pick-for his heir. Justin was a beacon to the community. He had charisma, and people skills beyond Nicodemus's wildest dreams. Almost everyone liked him, and trusted him. But that didn't ease Justin's conscience any.

There had been no sign of Jenner, but Justin continued to worry. He knew that Jenner had his followers among the rats and that they might come in contact with him. Justin had been keeping an eye on the most obvious ones, but he had no way of knowing for sure the extent of Jenner's influence, or exactly how many members were loyal to the evil rat. Aside from Sullivan, who had taken a new lease on life and was now fiercely loyal to Justin, Jenner's know followers were Castor, one of the original Rats of NIMH as well as candidate for Captain of the Guards if Justin hadn't already picked his successor, Dietrich, a quiet rat who helped Arthur plan Thorn Valley, and Pollux, Castor's electrician brother, another original.

Justin knew who he could trust, though; Sullivan was now his assistant in keeping track of everything going on in Thorn Valley, and Brutus was assigned as Nicodemus's personal body guard. If their was one rat that Jenner was afraid of, it was Brutus. Nicodemus, being the gentle rat he was, insisted that Justin have a clear head about everything and at least give Castor and his men the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they had come to their senses like Sullivan had. _They would only come to their senses if Jenner had killed them too_, Justin thought. He respected and loved Nicodemus, but felt the wise old rat was a little too trusting and forgiving.

"What troubles you, my son," Nicodemus asked Justin in his new chambers. "I don't know," Justin said. "Do you think Elizabeth is safe?" Even though her full name was now known to many of the rats, Justin was the only one who used her first name.

"Mrs. Brisby is safe from Jenner," Nicodemus said, knowing full well Justin's true feelings for the mouse. "She no longer has the amulet, and without that, Jenner has no use for her. She was wise to give it to you."

"Lucky is more like it." On their last night together, Mrs. Brisby had given Justin the amulet to return to Nicodemus, saying that she was not ready for it yet. "But, Nicodemus, I have this feeling that there is something about Jenner that you haven't told me."

Nicodemus let out a long sigh, looking at Justin for a great length before speaking. "Yes," he finally said. "There is more to Jenner than you know. You see, Justin, I have been wanting to pass on my skills, my... powers, to another for a long time now... Jenner was my first student. When he was younger, he had such passion for the Rats of NIMH. His spirit was made of fire, and I felt that one day he could lead the Rats of NIMH after I was gone. Shortly after we had settled in the rosebush, I began _training_ Jenner, for lack of a better word. These skills were not necessary to lead the rats, but I only thought it would help in the thought process that one has to deal with in order to be a leader.

"I trained Jenner gradually for two years, perfecting his skills in tiny increments. I slowly realized too late that Jenner was not the right person. He tried to cut corners and learn things the easy way, rather than with patience and dedication. Once he denounced the plans to move to Thorn Valley, I knew that Jenner could never be the leader I had hoped for, and I stopped teaching him. He was very angry, but he also knew the reasons why and grew very bitter, instead of simply letting it go. He became my enemy, and began dividing the loyalties of the rats, trying to convince the rest that Thorn Valley was not the right choice."

"He failed, of course." Justin said.

"True, Jenner was not able to hold on to followers for very long. He had their attention; however, he had no actions to follow up his words, but he could captivate an audience with his voice, and that skill made him truly dangerous, more so than his skills with a sword. The only thing that kept him from putting a stop to the preliminary construction on Thorn Valley was Jonathan Brisby's opposition to him. Jonathan could match Jenner for every word, effectively splitting the decision of Jenner's followers."

"Yes, I remember," Justin said. He rarely went to council sessions, but had heard of the intensity of Jonathan and Jenner's debates and just had to take a peek. "Jonathan was fierce in those debates."

"And by the time Jonathan had tragically died, Thorn Valley construction was already under way."

"Jenner always seemed to have a hatred of Jonathan that stretched beyond the debate floor, though. Was it because he was a mouse, or that he didn't live in the Rosebush?"

"Yes, Jenner had a frighteningly large degree of hatred towards Jonathan, but not for those reasons. After I had given up on Jenner as a student, I chose Jonathan to be my next pupil. Jenner was _furious_, but he always hid his contempt publicly. He held his hatred tightly inside where it festered and only grew worse. When Jonathan died, Jenner's hatred of him switched to me. He went so far as to try and kill me in order to win-in his mind.

"That night, I believe Jenner truly went mad. He had killed me and usurped my power. It looked completely accidental, and with no one in his way, he easily had control of everything. Mrs. Brisby was the first to challenge him. He would have beaten the stone out of her had you not intervened. Then when Sullivan turned against him, he was immediately slain. Jenner had the power in his hands and would do anything to keep it. Just like he will do anything to get it back."

"But what good is the stone to him, I mean, if he never fully developed his skills, what could he do with it?"

"He developed his skills enough. In a way the stone contains my soul. Everything I know and everything that I can do is concentrated within that stone. That is why Jonathan wanted to give the stone to Mrs. Brisby. He felt that it may give her the ability to live as long as he."

"Could it?"

"Perhaps. It would have been up to Mrs. Brisby to make that choice. That, along with the possibility that Mr. Ages or Ash and his assistant, Alexander, could not find a way to duplicate the serum, would have allowed Mrs. Brisby to see her children grow up, as well as allow her to grow old with Jonathan.

"It is that same reason that Jenner wants the amulet. He has enough skill to figure out how to unleash its power. If he were ever to unlock its strength, nothing could stand in his way, not even humans, and a tide of darkness would wash over the Rats of NIMH in a way you could never imagine."

Justin left Nicodemus's room not knowing if he felt better or worse than when he had entered. So many variables to think of, all wrapped up in a volatile equation in which Jenner was the key. _If Jenner had a rudimentary capability of Nicodemus's powers, why didn't he ever use them?_ He thought. He was so involved in concentration that he didn't even hear the voice.

"Governor?" It asked.

But Justin continued walking, mumbling to himself.

"Justin!"

Justin realized someone was talking to him. _I'll never get used to that title_. He turned to see the new Captain of the Guard. "Yes, Orion, sorry, I was lost in my head. What is it?"

"Actually, you were the one who wanted to see me, sir," Orion answered. Orion was a sleek black second generation Rat of NIMH. He was tall and slender. A bit lanky, but muscular as well. All of the second generation were every bit as fast and strong as the originals, a bit stronger actually. Captain Orion was more than capable for the Guard Captain. He was one of the best swordsmen in the community, he was quick on his toes, and had a remarkably fast mind. Justin almost envied the younger rat. He also had a commanding voice, not to loud or harsh, but it had a smooth confidence that was almost chillingly effective.

"Oh, yeah. Right," Justin said, racking his mind. "You know what? I have absolutely no idea why I called for you."

"_Dammit_, Justin! That's the second time this week!" Orion shouted in jest. "You're really monopolizing my time when I could be attending to other duties like... well, like making sure no weeds get out of control near the gate. Because you know, if you give them an inch, they'll take the whole Lair."

"Oh, shut up, would you," Justin said, laughing. He very much enjoyed Orion's cynicism, even in the bleakest of times. "How has Sarah been?"

"Fine," Orion answered, no longer laughing. "She still worries a lot. Sometimes she cries herself to sleep when I'm not there, but I've got her to keep busy during the day to keep her mind off you know who."

"That's good. I worry about her-I worry about everyone actually, but out of everyone I worry about, Nicodemus, Elizabeth and Sarah are the ones I worry about the most."

"That's nice of you to say, Justin. Although I think if I tell her that, it will only depress her more, knowing that she is causing others to fret about her." He sighed. "It's really a no win situation."

"But she has shown improvement, right?" Justin asked.

"Yes, the doctor gave her some tea that was supposed to soothe her nerves a bit, I think it worked. She just has to deal with her mind, and I can only help her so far."

Justin nodded. Sarah was a very sensitive case among them. She was a first generation rat, born right after the originals and had all of their physical strengths, but Justin always had concerns about her mental capacity-not that she was stupid or even slow, she was very smart. But her mind was just...delicate. The whole experience of NIMH and their escape had somewhat scarred her psychologically, making her overly trusting and needy.

Then she married Jenner. A union that appeared to be fine at first, but as Jenner's soul grew darker, so did their relationship. Many assumed Jenner was abusive to her, but no one had the courage to accuse him, not even Justin. As Sarah and Jenner's relationship crumbled, she began having an affair with Orion, sending Jenner into a tailspin of rage when he found out. No one blamed her, though, and because of that, no one held her or Orion responsible for breaking one of the laws of the community. After that, Jenner simply ignored them as if nothing happened-as if they didn't _exist_. Yet another bruise to Jenner's ego.

"Is there anything else?" Orion asked.

Justin noticed the black rat shifting on his feet, as if uncomfortable with the conversation now. "No, no, nothing. Maybe I'll think of it later."

"Very well," Orion said, and with that he turned and walked off. Justin watched as the young rat disappeared, his black clothes blending with his fur, turning him into a walking shadow.


	3. Chapter 2: Infinite Dreams

**Darkest Days**

By J.C. Foster

**Chapter 2**

**"Infinite Dreams**"

The Plow had come and gone, passing the Brisby home without incident. Well, it did take a whole day to clean up the dirt the giant tractor had shaken loose, but other than that they were untouched. Two weeks had passed since the rats had left, as well as most other animals near the farm. Even Auntie Shrew had left for her spring home, but Mrs. Brisby hadn't gathered her children up for their move, not yet. Something in the back of her mind made her wait. She didn't know what, or why. After all, at this time of year they always moved back to their spring home, usually it was a fun, joyous occasion because with the coming of spring, there was also much better food than old corn, and plenty of it. That alone was worth the trip. But for some reason, this year was different. Her children realized this too, although they didn't flat out admit it. They just waited for their mother to decide when the time was right.

Elizabeth Brisby finally came to the conclusion that she didn't want to leave because of the memories she had. The haunting memories of her late husband had been refreshed because of the events with the rats. And the new memories of Justin filled her. She felt torn, like she was somehow betraying the memory of her husband by having these feelings for Justin. It had taken so long to get over Jonathan's death, and to learn the true cause behind it only hurt her more. She had felt lost without Jonathan, but with the crisis that was at hand with Timothy, she had to admit that Jonathan wasn't going to be able to help her out and she would have to do everything herself. She kept thinking "What would Jonathan do?" over and over, never thinking "What should I do?"

The realization did come to her though, more than a year after he died, on the day when she and the Shrew attacked the tractor. Elizabeth didn't know what came over her. Usually she was terrified of the thing, but on that day she felt as though the machine was personally coming after her and she had to stand up to it until one of them backed down. There was a feeling she had after the tractor was disabled. A felling she had a hard time describing to herself. A feeling of catharsis in a way. Absolution, maybe? Vindication? The words seemed right in a way, but in a way not. It was almost like she had been mourning for so long, holding on to the memory of Jonathan, and by doing that, holding on to his spirit. Then it was like his spirit let go of her and as if to say "It's time for you to do this. Be brave, because I know you can."

Then all at once the mournful feelings she had, the sinking in her heart, the bewildering thoughts, all of them gone. All at once. It was like getting a slap in the face and waking up refreshed to a new day all at once. She felt confident for once. And that confidence grew in small, but sure steps.

Until she learned the true nature of Jonathan's death and his dark secret. Her world came crashing down on her again, but this time she had Justin to guide her, to give her something to hold on to in the middle of the storm. With his help she came through with courage she never knew she had, or maybe she never had it at all, but Justin had given it to her. Either way, she felt empowered, determined, fired up. She was going to dictate the course of her family's future and no one was going to stand in her way. Not Jenner, or the farmer, or even NIMH.

After the move, Elizabeth had taken to sitting atop the great stone her home rested under and just gaze out into the farm, lost in her thoughts. She thought about the eventual move of her family, about the rats and Nicodemus, about the plow. She thought about many things, but mostly she thought about Justin and whether or not she had made the right decision. The rats had left a few things for her, mostly clothing and books for the children, a very kind and selfless gesture.

It was the books that made her question her decision.

The children had never read anything other than what their father had brought them. Elizabeth had never really thought about it before, but after her children attacked the books like cats attacking rabbits, she felt foolish for not doing anything before. Her children's minds were developing and they craved information. The new books were like fresh food to a starving animal. They read them over and over, learning every word. She knew that what they needed she could never supply. An education that fulfilled the potential of their minds. They had Jonathan's intelligence and desire to learn. And she felt that by living as normal mice the rest of their lives, she was denying them of their right to learn, and of their right to be who they truly are.

She envied their intelligence and their ability to learn so fast.

She also thought of Justin. She thought of Justin so much that he appeared in her dreams from time to time. Sometimes in her dreams they would talk, sometimes they would just be somewhere together saying nothing, sometimes he was reading to her children, sometimes she would dream about the few times they had actually spent time together in the rosebush, and sometimes they were making love. Passionate love.

Elizabeth longed to hear his voice again. Their time together was so brief, but it was enough, for both of them she believed, to fall in love. She recalled the moments repeatedly in her mind. Going over every single word uttered, every move made, every moment, frozen in time. Of course what stuck in her mind most was when they said good-bye and kissed. They had both been through hell and were there for each other in the end. The feelings expressed, and the feelings that didn't have to be spoken were there. That moment was theirs and theirs alone, but she treasured their other times together too.

There was their first encounter, with Mr. Ages in the beautifully lit hallways under the rosebush. She remember being at first afraid of him, after all she was still a little disturbed after being attacked by Brutus, and for a split second thought that Justin _was_ Brutus, but then realized he wasn't nearly as big, or as mean. It fact he was just the opposite. Within a few seconds she moved from total fright to total captivation. Mesmerized by his smooth, commanding voice, and his ocean-like eyes. She remembered stumbling over her words, pretending to be describing the lights of the rosebush, when actually her description referred to him.

Elizabeth remembered hanging on his every word as they continued in the rosebush on the way to the council room, and her first run in with Jenner where she had been completely charmed by Justin's ability to get a laugh from everyone at Jenner's expense. Then only to be thrilled further when Justin came to her aid in convincing the rats to help her. He had only known her for a few minutes! But he helped anyway.

Later was their short boat ride under the water mill. She felt overwhelmed in the presence of Nicodemus, but she still felt Justin's presence as well and was touched when he tried to protect her in saying the mission to drug Dragon was too dangerous for her.

After that was their even more brief encounter under the farmhouse before she was trapped. He mostly said words to fill her with confidence, although she wasn't sure if Justin was convinced that she could pull off the task. She felt a little embarrassed to undress in front of him, but at the same time it felt strangely erotic. Of course it was a completely inappropriate time to harbor such thoughts with the dire circumstances at hand, but she couldn't help it. She also liked the idea of having those thoughts with him again. Soon.

Then there were the volatile moments after she escaped as she tried to warn the rats about NIMH. Her world became a terrifying nightmare when Jenner attacked her. He was so huge, and quick and ruthless that she immediately felt that she would die by his hands. Then Justin came to her rescue, fending off the crushing blows of Jenner's sword with a simple staff, only then to be caught himself in the fight for his own life in their sword duel. When he defeated Jenner, he had done it to protect her. Then he immediately risked his life again in attempting to save her children in the sinking block. Only when it seemed that all was lost did he give up and stop her from killing herself as well.

But aside from their kiss, the moment she recalled the most was their stay in the library as she waited to meet Nicodemus. At that moment she was dealing with dual emotions. On one hand she was frightened about the uncertain fate that awaited her family. On the other hand was the astonishment and bewilderment she was experiencing from the size and complexity of the Rosebush. Here was something she saw everyday and thought little to nothing about, never once guessing as to what actually lied beneath it. Oh, sure, she knew that the rats were up to some weird things, but that's what she always remembered. There was the farmer's wife doing laundry. There was Dragon sleeping or eating. There was the plow. And there was the rosebush with the strange rats who stole extension cords from the farmer.

Now inside the rosebush, she was feeling the impact of knowing what was really going on inside it, and their stop in the library was her first chance to catch her breath and take it all in. The library was dimly lit, a bit chilly, and very quiet. It seemed mostly empty except for a young rat she noticed reading a book, and she sensed the presence of a few others somewhere in the large room, although she couldn't see them.

He led her to a table and offered her a seat on its bench.

"So what do you think of our home?" he asked in a hushed tone. It wasn't that hushed though because she saw the young rat shoot a piercing glance their way, but then appeared to just ignore them.

She paused, trying to find the right words to describe what she felt. "I... I had no idea it was this big," she answered also in a hushed tone. Afterwards she felt foolish for this comment. _Of course it's big. He probably thought I was childish for such a simple comment._

"It's pretty amazing, even to me sometimes," he said.

"Surely you've gotten used to it by now," she said. Again afterwards she felt foolish, wishing she could have said something else. Something more... _intellectual_.

"Well, I'm used to some of it," he continued. "But I still think about what it was like before, and it really stuns me as to how far we've come."

"You say you've had electricity for five years?"

"Yeah, about five I guess. That's what Ages says anyway. It sounds right, but it seems like a very long time. Its hard to imagine sometimes. In the past before electricity, we were stumbling around in the dark until we could memorize all the paths. Sometimes we would use torches, but those were dangerous because of the smoke." He sat for a moment on that thought with a distant look in his eyes. Elizabeth detected feelings of nostalgia in his eyes, but at the same time there seemed to be sadness too. He continued before she could ask though, "It was a total accident that we found this rosebush. We were on the move and didn't know where we were headed. It was late one night and we stopped for a rest and a bite to eat on this farm. Then Nicodemus realized we could make it our home. God that seems so long ago. I haven't thought about that night for years."

"I understand how you feel," she said at length. "Its only been a year since Jonathan died, yet it feels like a lifetime ago. Almost like someone else's life." She was surprised about how easily she could take about Jonathan's death with Justin. Usually the subject brought her great sadness, but not with Justin. Perhaps because in a far off kind of way, Justin reminded her of Jonathan.

"I can tell you really loved him."

"Yes, I did.," she said simply, then paused for a long time. "The first few months were very hard. I felt so... lost. Alone." She paused again, looking at Justin, still surprised at the ease in saying the words. "He was _so_ smart. It was almost fascinating to watch him think to himself as he taught the children things. He taught me some things to, but mostly the children. He used to say it was easier teaching them because I was too stubborn." She laughed at the memory. Then bit her lip, "I miss him."

"Mrs. Brisby, " he said, looking very solemn, "I understand all too well how you feel." He laughed and looked up at the ceiling, his eyes beginning to water. He paused long before he spoke, thinking of what to say. "I had a wife once. Years back. Her name was Selina. She died though, while in labor."

"Oh, no," Mrs. Brisby said, covering her mouth. "Did the baby live?"

He shook his head. "No, she didn't. We didn't have a chance. It was dark, it was storming out. We barely found shelter for her. Brutus and I had to carry her because she couldn't walk anymore... "

"Justin, I am so sorry," she said, reaching over to hold his hand.

"Hey now," he said, placing his hand over hers. "Don't worry about me. It was a long time ago. Right now we should be thinking about you. But you shouldn't worry, once you talk to Nicodemus, you will see that everything is fine."

"Who is Nicodemus?"

"Well, where do I begin with that one," he said light heartedly, trying to change the mood. "Nicodemus is our leader, but he's also more than that. He's wise. Very wise. He's the oldest of us all. I guess that helps him, you know. You have to be old to be wise."

Elizabeth laughed at his words, again reminded of Jonathan. "Can Nicodemus really help my family and I?"

Justin gripped her hand firmly, "If anything can be done, Nicodemus will know." They sat in silence for a moment, looking at each other. "You are a very beautiful young lady, Mrs. Brisby."

She felt her face grow warm as she blushed, "Justin, I don't know what-"

"God, you know, you're right," he muttered quickly, removing his hand. "I shouldn't-I had no business saying that. I apologize. I had no right-"

"Justin, no. I don't mind. It's just that...its been a long time since someone said that to me. I'm flattered-really."

"Still, I shouldn't have. I let my emotions get the better of me."

"I think everyone should let their emotions speak sometime. They say what we really mean."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Right now what do your emotions tell you?"

She began blushing again, "Well, they tell me that you appear to be very charming and cavalier on the outside, but underneath you have a sensitive side. I believe that you will be a husband again, and a father."

"Really?" He asked. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, really. It's just a feeling. You're very open. And... handsome."

"Handsome?" He said, making her blush again.

"Yes," she said. "Now, tell me what your emotions tell you."

They paused as the young rat walked past them and left the library.

"My emotions," he said slowly. "Hmmm, well. I think that once you set your mind to a goal, nothing can stop you. I think you are braver than you may realize."

"Brave? Oh, no. Not me."

"Yes, you. Don't discourage yourself. I believe in you."

"Oh, Justin-"

She was cut off by Mr. Ages abruptly entering the room. "Mrs. Brisby, come with me. Nicodemus will see you now."

"Time to go," he said.

"Oh, no." She paused, "thank you for keeping me company."

"Mrs. Brisby, it was my pleasure," he said, bowing gracefully.

"Whenever you're ready," Mr. Ages said, slightly irritated.

That was it. They had connected. That small conversation was enough to plant feelings in both of them. What she had felt was the long lost feeling of falling in love. It was happening so fast and it almost didn't make sense. But because of that it did make sense. It made sense to her anyway. She couldn't verbally explain it. It was just there. The feelings and emotions toward Justin were expanding like fire through her. It didn't matter that he was a rat, or that he lived within this strange society, or that she had only known him for what seemed like a few minutes. There was just something about Justin that seemed so right, and it was something she was still feeling after his departure.

And now she missed him, just as she missed Jonathan after his death, only with Justin she missed his memories, and she missed what possibilities she could have had with him. Those possibilities were often explored in her dreams. And the dreams she liked the most were the ones with them making love. She had actually awoken from some of them trying to catch her breath and sweating a little. The dreams were so passionate, and the images so vivid, it only made her miss him more. She missed the comfort of her husband. She used to take the feeling of someone lying next to her for granted, but now she realized how much she wanted that feeling. As well as the feelings of inspiration that came from being in love. The confidence and support that was always there was irreplaceable. The subtle feeling of someone else touching her skin, or holding her hand- especially the way Justin held her hand. She wanted them back. And she had them briefly in her dreams.

She had no idea how Justin would really behave in bed, but in her dreams he was very gentle, treating her like a delicate flower. He was silent, always silent except for his breathing which became more intense as they progressed. His hands were soft, but firmly held her body against his. She could feel the strong muscles in his back with her hands. And his eyes, his eyes were the most intense part of the dream. His eyes never left hers. They showed a deep concentration, yet expressed his every emotion. Then he would close his eyes and concentrate intensely for the climax. Then suddenly it would all be gone.

Elizabeth snapped awake from her daydream, slightly panting. Looking around from her vantage point on top of the big stone she could see her children relaxing on the ground below, not far from the house. All of them, including Timothy, who seemed to recover almost immediately after the house was moved, not the three weeks like Ages said.

The time would come soon when they would have to move. _But move where?_ She knew the children needed the education only the rats could give. She was torn. _What to do_? She thought.

It was midmorning. The skies where cloudy, as they had been for what seemed weeks. It had been two weeks since the rats left and NIMH arrived, yet the NIMH scientists were still there on the farm. The Rosebush had been ripped out of the ground and discarded. Then the scientists proceeded to rip into the ground, uncovering tunnels, including a long escape tunnel the rats used as a diversion when the scientists arrived, to make it look as though they were ordinary rats running away from their discovered home.

She couldn't hear most of their words, but at some point, she learned that the NIMH scientist in charge was named Valentine, and he kept referring to his superior, a man named Schultz. "Schultz wants results." "Schultz doesn't want to hear that." He would say, over and over as the two other men with him investigated the former home of the rats. Elizabeth also seemed to notice that the men from NIMH seemed to be hiding something from the farmer, Mr. Fitzgibbons. The scientists almost acted as if the farmers were in _their_ way.

Elizabeth could also tell from the farmer's body language and demeanor that he was growing irritated by the scientists' presence. Whenever he would complain about their extended stay, Valentine would say "Please, Mr. Fitzgibbons. it's all in the name of science."

"Well forget your science," Fitzgibbons responded. "What about in the name of my damn yard?"

Then his wife would usually step in, telling her husband to just let them work. And if he kept interrupting them, it would only delay them further.

Valentine and his men looked the same to Elizabeth. They were all strong looking, with piercing eyes and buzz cuts on their heads. They worked in khakis that would be filthy by the days end while operating out of a mobile home pulled up on the farmer's property.

Mrs. Brisby watched them vaguely from the stone. Valentine and one of his men were talking about a sample of dirt. The third man had ventured into the woods, following a tunnel they had uncovered just the day before. The farmer and his son were off a little ways, near the tractor shed, Fitzgibbons keeping one eye on the men as well.

Suddenly, the third man burst from the woods, running directly to Valentine. He leaned close and spoke too low for Elizabeth to hear, but she was very interested now. Valentine apparently approved of what the man said, patting him on the back. "Good work," she barely hard him say. Then Valentine got on his cell phone and began speaking excitedly. She still couldn't hear what they said, but Fitzgibbons sure could.

The second Valentine hung up his phone, Fitzgibbons stormed in his face. "No you will not be spending anymore time here!" He shouted, violently. Obviously reacting to something he heard Valentine say on the phone. "I'm sick and tired of you and your truck tearing up my property."

"Mr. Fitzgibbons," Valentine replied calmly, "You were told that this would take time. We did exterminate your rats for you."

"You didn't exterminate shit! All you did was run them off! And now I'm going to run you off. Now." Mrs. Brisby had never seen the farmer so upset.

"Mr. Fitzgibbons, I implore you-"

"I don't care what you do, as long as it consists of you leaving." He had jabbed his finger in Valentine's chest, to which the scientist didn't seem to react. "Now will you leave peacefully, or do I have to call the sheriff and have you removed for trespassing?"

Valentine was silent for a long time. He then nodded sharply to his men and they packed up their equipment quickly and got in the RV. Valentine leaned close to Fitzgibbons and said something too low for Elizabeth to hear, then himself got in the truck and started it up. Within a few moments, they were gone.

"God _dammit_!" Fitzgibbons shouted, relieved the men finally left, as he went inside the house.

Elizabeth was relieved too. The men from NIMH gave her the creeps. That man Valentine seemed especially cold and calculating. He seemed less than human and more like a machine. She disliked them all and was glad they were gone.

Far off in the distance she heard the whistle of a freight train. There were tracks than ran nearby the farmer's property and trains could always be heard going by. Jeremy's home was just across the bridge that went over the tracks. He had shown her a few days ago, saying if she ever needed help, he'd be there.

_Jeremy_, she thought. As the dust kicked up by the NIMH vehicle finally settled, she got an idea, and scrambled down the stone to get her children.

"But, what do you want the note to say, Mom?" Timothy asked his mother.

They were sitting inside at the dining table. Timothy had a blank piece of paper in front of him with a sharpened pencil in hand.

"I don't know," She said. "Tell them-address it to Justin-but tell them that..." Elizabeth paused, trying to word it the best way possible.

"Why don't I just say 'The men from NIMH have left. Everything's OK here.'"

"You're being impatient, Timmy." She scolded.

"Awe, c'mon Mom. That's what you want to say, basically. Isn't it?" He said. "Or is there something else you had in mind?"

She looked sharply, but then relaxed, "No, you're right. Yes. write down what you said, but make it sound...of, I don't know-"

"Intelligent?" He said for her. The word intelligence seemed to be an obsession for her the past two weeks.

"Yes, intelligent." She conceded.

Timothy moved his hands impossibly fast, faster than she ever could. "There."

"Read it to me," she said.

Timothy gave her a slightly annoyed sidelong glance, "You know, you should be practicing too."

"Timothy, just read me the letter, I'll practice later, I promise. I just want to get it to Jeremy before it gets much later."

He continued watching her, then finally read, "Dear Justin, this is Timothy Brisby. I'm speaking on behalf of my family, Martin, Teresa, Cynthia, and my mother Elizabeth. We wanted to send you our thoughts, hoping you made it to your new home safely. We also wanted to inform you that the scientists from NIMH have left the farm. Hopefully none of us will ever be troubled by them again. Signed Timothy Brisby."

"Excellent," Elizabeth said, taking the note from Timothy and scanning it with her eyes. So smart. So fast. She recognized the letters and made out most of the words, but didn't go over it, instead she trusted her son read it word for word.

"Are you taking it to Jeremy now?"

"Yes I-"

"Can I come!"

"Of course you cannot, young man. You need to stay here and-"

"I know, I know." He interrupted.

"Timmy," she said apologetically, running her fingers through is hair. "Someday -"

"I'll understand, I know. You told me."

"I must go." She kissed him on the cheek and rushed out the door. After telling Martin to keep an eye on everything and saying she wouldn't be too long. Elizabeth took off. Speeding in the direction of Jeremy's home, with her note in hand.

On the way to Jeremy's was the bridge. A concrete monolith that spanned the small valley between two hills. Underneath the bridge ran train tracks. The bridge itself was for an older set of train tracks that were no longer in use. The concrete stretched almost a hundred feet from end to end. Not much for a human, but a long distance for a mouse her size. The bridge frightened her somewhat. Actually, anything man made frightened her to an extent. Man made structures were just so alien. They made her nervous. The bridge made her nervous.

The bridge had a small lip, a two foot wide edge, that the animals used to cross. The tracks running over the bridge had eroded from age of not being used. Much gravel had come loose, the wood was splintered and tall grass grew between the planks, making it difficult for anything to cross the middle of the bridge. Instead, she had to stick to the edge. It was the quickest way across. When the new tracks were built, much of the hillside was cut away to make room for trains coming though. This made each hillside impossibly steep for animals wanting to get to the other side. Circumnavigating it took nearly a half hour.

Elizabeth paused at the edge. Staring at it. Then a gust of wind prodded her forward. Gripping the letter tightly, she ventured out, walking close to the inside of the lip, staying as far away from the ledge as possible. Once her feet settled on the concrete, she could feel it vibrating under her. She cautiously proceeded.

Halfway across, the vibrations became stronger and stronger. She could hear the hillside shaking. The scream of a freight train whistle scarred her witless. She gasped in terror and froze in panic.

The ground began shaking violently. Elizabeth felt like the world was falling out beneath her. Horrified, she looked back from where she had came and thought about turning around. Realizing this was a stupid idea, she searched inside her for courage. She needed to get across this bridge. The roar of the train grew and the ground was shaking more than ever, but somehow, she found herself putting one foot in front of the other. Slowly but surly, crossing the bridge.

Then the whistle howled like a beast. Its loud bellow shaking every bone in her body, and suddenly, it was upon her.

The train screamed to life under the bridge. Impossible loud, as if it were tearing its path through the earth. The ground shook ferociously and the suction of air nearly pulled her off the edge.

Screaming, Elizabeth caught herself at the precipice. Frozen in sheer fright, watching the hulking metal beast crawl beneath her, shaking her whole universe. She clenched her eyes shut and pulled her body safely back on the edge, finding the wall behind her back, she simply crouched down, holding her head between her knees, waiting for the monster to pass.

After an impossibly long time, the shaking stopped, and the train moved on its way. Elizabeth had been panting, nearly hyperventilating. She had used all the self control she could muster to stay still and calm. Finally she released it all. Gasping for breath as her eyes snapped open, her hands and body shaking tremendously.

"Stop it," she said to herself. Trying to get control of her body. "Stop it!" Getting on her hands and knees, Elizabeth put her forehead on the ground, trying to balance her nerves. Finally her body calmed to the point of control, and she willed herself the rest of the distance.

"This is very important, Jeremy," Elizabeth said.

"Hey, whatever you need, you can count on me," Jeremy said heroically.

"Good. Now, do you remember where I told you Thorn Valley was?"

"Where 'You told me?' Ms. B. I knew it before anyone knew it was there. Why I-"

"Okay, I believe you. But you remember exactly where it is, don't you?"

"Do I know exactly where," he mumbled sarcastically. "Do fish swim and birds fly and... and, uh..."

"Now do you remember where I said the rats would be?"

"What rats?"

She shot him a deadly stare.

"OHHH, _those_ rats," he winked. "Yeah, yeah, I remember right where you told me they where."

"Good, now, I need you to fly there and give this message to a rat named Justin."

"Wait, wait, wait. You want me to fly to Thorn Valley? Today?"

"How long will it take you?"

"Oh, uh. I don't know. Less than a day, back and forth."

"So is it a problem? This would mean an awful lot to me." She batted her eyelashes and spoke almost seductively.

He thought very long and hard - for about five seconds, "Well, why not. Like I said, Ms. B, anything for you. Although I don't think the Mrs. will like the idea."

"I'm sure she'll understand. And I'm sure that maybe I could come up with some string to compensate you. Hmm?"

"Say no more. Now where's this note before I change my mind."

"Here, now remember. Be very careful."

"Of course I'll be careful. You can count on, uh... me."

And with a flutter of black feathers, he was gone.

Before she had entrusted Timothy's letter, Elizabeth had taken it out as well as a pencil she had sneaked out of the house. Her children hadn't know, but she was secretly practicing her writing ever since their family's encounter with the Rats of NIMH. She took the pencil in her hand and concentrated hard, very hard, on just a few words that she scrawled unevenly on the paper. It had taken her almost a minute to write out the five words, but she was proud once she finished.

"I miss you, Justin."

And below it she signed her first name, that being the word she was most proud of.


	4. Chapter 3: The Human Factor

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 4:**

**"Standing in the Shadows"**

Justin had taken to wearing a cape due to the chilly interior of the lair. He also felt it gave him a greater appearance of authority now that he was the rat's leader. Not that he wanted to become imposing and dominating over his fellow rats. Justin just wanted to show confidence in his leadership and one way to show it was the way he dressed. He didn't dress like a guard anymore. The old light yellow and blue get up was gone in favor of a light gray shirt and a dark blue vest and on some days - like today - his black cape.

The spring breeze flowed gently through the cape as Justin made his way out to the farm grounds. Soon the sun would be setting and the farmers were packing it in for the day. Only a few rats were truly dedicated to the farmwork at all times. With the exception to a few positions in the lair, most of the rats rotated around all the jobs needed to be done whether it be cooking, plowing, cleaning, construction, or child care. The school had permanent teachers and assistants because their job was seen as one of the most important. All of the various fields of work had a permanent rat in charge. A manager in a way. There was a head cook, a head bookkeeper, a head librarian, Arthur was the head engineer and in charge of every inch of development going on in Thorn Valley, Orion was the captain of the guards, and under each of them were various assistants who held permanent positions, but these made up only dozens of rats out of hundreds. Even the rats in charge got down on their hands and knees when their turn came to clean the kitchen. No rat loved doing the dirtiest of jobs, but most agreed that everyone should help out it every field possible. It would create a stronger community.

Unfortunately not everyone liked this ideology. Several rats, many of them from the council, felt that they shouldn't have to be subjected to back-breaking chores. They would weasel their ways off of demanding work schedules and always have an excuse when their turn came up in the rotation. Justin could understand the complaint to an extent. It was figured out a long time ago that Orion couldn't boil a pot of water without messing it up, so it was made clear that he never do work in the kitchen. Likewise Arthur was discovered to have absolutely no ability to work with children and ever since then he was left off the day car rotations. But it wasn't for a lack of trying on either Orion or Arthur's part.

What annoyed Justin were the rats who just flat out refused to do hard work. And when they did end up working, they would perform so poorly that they ended up just being in the way of others. A rat named Cameron stuck out the most. Cameron lived most of his life in the rosebush and had never really known hardship. The move to Thorn Valley was the most physically exerting thing he had ever done. Cameron was good at politics and had an instinct for what was overall in the best interest of the Rats of NIMH. He wasn't flat out selfish, he was just conceded when it came to things that directly concerned him. Cameron reminded Justin of Jenner in a way.

_Enough of that_, Justin thought, pushing aside the negative thoughts about Cameron and the others like him as he arrived on the farming ground. Jacob was the rat in charge of the major farming as well as the smaller gardens around Thorn Valley. He was the head botanist as well, spending as much time in the lab experimenting with seeds as he did on the farm planting them. Orion had dubbed Jacob the "Leaf Chief." Justin snickered every time he heard the phrase, and kicked himself for not thinking of it first.

Jacob had been one of the hardest working rats before Justin and the others arrived. Once they did arrive, his work load increased exponentially as he scrambled to plant more food ahead of schedule in order to handle the sudden boom in population. Originally he was supposed to have six more months of experimenting with what worked and what didn't, but like every other long term plan the rat's had, it was cut short by NIMH's intervention.

Jacob was similar to Justin in build, just a little shorter. They were close to the same age as well. Other than that, most similarities ended. Jacob's fur was very light brown, almost orange, and he was known for being soft spoken. A rat of few words. There was a deep concentration in his eyes, as if he were constantly working out problems in his head. He was also known to stay up later than almost any other rat in the lair and could be seen roaming the hallways late at night. Usually the guard on duty would have to remind Jacob to get some sleep.

At that moment Jacob was clapping dirt off his hands and surveying his handiwork. A simple nod acknowledged Justin's presence. "How's it look?" Justin asked.

"Pretty good," Jacob said before leaning over to grab his backpack of smaller tools. "It looks like things are going to be better than I originally thought. Some of the stuff we planted is already showing sprouts."

"Really?" Justin asked.

"Well, the lettuce is, but that grows fast anyway. But overall I think we're going to be okay."

"You think so?" Justin said.

"Yes," Jacob said strapping the backpack on. "Unless there's some kind of disaster of course. Excuse me."

Justin watched as Jacob went over to a group gathered around a rat size plow they used and helped them to carry it in for the day. He laughed to himself, _typical Jacob_, and put his hands in his pockets. His right hand came over a folded piece of paper that had been on his mind for most of the day. A letter to him he had not expected to get. He had read it so many times that it was now memorized. The words repeated over and over in his head. Even as he felt it, he was going over the words from beginning to end.

It was a big surprise when the letter arrived, in a fury of black feathers. The commotion gathered a large group of rats outside including every rat who had been outside and a few who were near enough to the entrance to hear what was going on. There was also a group of school children brought out by their teacher who coincidentally was teaching her class about birds that week.

When Justin arrived on the scene, the bird, who he found out was named Jeremy, was showing the children how far he could spread his wings and generally trying to impress them. Jeremy had become so involved at showing off to the kids he almost forgot to pass the note to Justin. Several rats around Justin were curious about the letter, but lost interest when they found out who it was from. It wasn't that they didn't care, they were glad to hear of NIMH's departure from the farm, they just felt like it was more a letter written specifically for Justin and left him alone with it.

As Justin stood looking over the farmland he found himself pulling out the letter once again and reading it. He had recited the first sentence before it was even open. When he got to the end, he paused in his thoughts about the different handwriting. He got warm all over just be reading that part. Her words. Her name. Justin had been lost in his daydreams all day because of those words. He could tell that she wasn't good at writing, but had obviously tried hard by how deeply depressed her hand writing was. He could physically feel her words with his fingertips.

Folding the letter and putting it back in his pocket, with his fingers resting on the indentions of her writing, Justin began walking the perimeter of the farmland, simply lost in thought. By the time he was heading back to the entrance, the sun had just touched the horizon.

At the entrance were a few rats grouped around a large metal box that extended out from the hillside. It was an intercom box that linked to a larger network inside that allowed rats to communicate across long distances without walking them. A rat could contact someone for supplies or assistance from others or, if need be, the system could act as an alarm. By putting it a three number code on the phone like keypad that was tiny to a human, but large to a rat, several different areas could be specifically rung, or at the push of a button, someone could speak to the entire lair. The system was more of a convenience than anything and at that moment the main entrance speaker was not working.

Arthur was there as well as Orion and two other guards, dressed in the traditional blue and yellow, Mason and Brenda, one of the few female members of the guard who also happen to be a natural electrician. Brenda, slightly short and full figured without being fat in any way, was actually lying on the ground underneath the box working with the wires over her head. Arthur, a big strong rat with a stocky build and wearing a simple brown working smock, was standing by as Orion was giving Mason a lecture for being late.

"It doesn't matter what you were doing, that's not the point," Orion said firmly.

"But Cameron said it was okay," Mason pleaded.

"I don't care what Cameron said, he's not your boss, you should have checked in. On second thought, you shouldn't have been helping him in the first place. Let Cameron's lazy ass do his own work." Orion looked over to see Justin draw near, "What's up chief?"

Justin nodded to them, "How about what's up with this stupid box? Is it broke again?"

"Yes again," Arthur sighed. "This is quickly getting to be more trouble than it's worth."

"It's not too much trouble if you know what you're doing," Brenda added slyly as she twisted wires in her hand.

"That will be enough from you for tonight, thank you," Arthur said.

"Suit yourself. I guess I'll have to give my words of wisdom to someone else," Brenda replied mischievously.

Justin noticed Mason had a crude bandage wrapped around his right hand, "What did you do to your hand?" He asked, reaching over and looking at it himself.

"Just me being stupid. I was climbing the hill earlier and slipped. When I tried to grab something a sliced it open on a rock. It's nothing," Mason explained.

"Looks like there's a lot of blood there. You ought to have Ash take a look at it."

"Humph, yes Dr. Ash, or his wonderful assistant Alexander. That's not right, those two," he said under his breath.

"What did you say?" Barked Orion.

"Nothing."

"What's this talk of Cameron?" Justin asked to Orion and Mason.

"I was just helping the guy out, that's all," Mason said defensively.

"And neglecting his duties at it," Orion added. "Cameron asked him to carry some of the heavier books from the library back to his office, typical Cameron crap. Anyway, he made our young guard here late by a half hour this morning."

"Aren't part of my duties to help out others?" Mason protested. "Isn't that the point of being a guard?"

"The point is you were supposed to relieve someone who had been up all night and wanted to go home. You weren't helping him out much were you?" Orion sighed in frustration, stretching his hands behind his head.

"Mason, it's not that you were doing anything wrong," Justin said, "it's just that what ever you were doing for Cameron he could have easily done for himself. He's not incapable of work, he just acts like it."

"Okay," Mason said, nearly throwing his hands in the air. "Okay, I get it."

"Then don't do it again, now go get that hand taken care of." Orion said. Mason did a half hearted salute then headed off with his tail hanging low.

"You know, it's Cameron who you should really be yelling at," Justin said.

"I know, I know. He'll get a piece of me latter. That's not the first time he's had my guards do his work for him."

"Speaking of other people's work," Justin said playfully. "Arthur, why is Brenda lying on the ground with her hands in your intercom?"

"Hey, what can I say," Arthur said in mock defense. "She's a woman, she's got small hands. We have to find some use for her."

With that comment Brenda dropped her arms to her side, looking up from the ground at Arthur, who was standing right by her head. "Small hands, eh?" She said. She looked over at Orion and Justin before looking back at Arthur and glancing a peak under his shirt before going back to the wires. "From my point of view, that's not the only thing that's small."

"Whoa," Justin said as he and Orion took a step back laughing. "Hey now, the last thing we need is sexual harassment on the job."

"Oh, there's nothing harassing about it," Brenda winked at Justin.

"What was that comment Mason said about Ash?" Justin asked Orion.

"I don't know," Orion shrugged. "I've heard a couple others say unpleasant things about Ash and Alexander, but I have no idea what they mean."

"They're probably just a bunch of babies who don't like going to the doctor," Arthur said.

Brenda closed the intercom and stood up. "I think that does it for this piece of junk."

"Piece of junk?" Arthur protested.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said running her fingers over the metal box and taking on the personality of a gushing cheerleader. "It's really a fabulous invention. Who ever designed it must be a genius."

Arthur stepped nose to nose with her, "Why don't you make this 'genius' happy and test it out." His words were slow and deliberate. Orion and Justin could tell there was more to the conversation than playful banter.

Brenda drummed her fingers on the metal box before jogging off down the corridor. After a moment her voice spoke through the speaker. "_Can you boys hear me_?"

Arthur pressed the button and responded. "We can hear that lovely voice loud and clear, Brenda."

"_You men would be helpless without me_."

"So Brenda," Arthur said, "about that remark you made. Would you be interested in finding out the truth behind that?"

After a long pause she replied, "_We'll see_."

Justin began laughing again, "C'mon, let's get inside."

"We're coming up," Arthur said.

"_I said 'we'll see.'_"

The three rats walked down the hall as the sun had completely set outside. "Who's on guard tonight?" Arthur asked.

"Jessica is," Orion said. "So, Arthur, tell me, how long have you been fornicating with my young guard, Brenda?"

Arthur gave Orion a sidelong glance and said, "Longer than you could imagine."

Justin laughed as they walked on with his hands in his pocket, and his fingers on his letter.

Darkness blanketed the sky over Thorn Valley. There was no moon that night, but without any clouds the stars glowed vibrantly. Jenner hugged the trees and brush as he approached the rat's lair. He could make out the entrance easily by its night lights. The main hallway was also lit up, looking somewhat like an upside down runway as it stretched back into the hillside. Using his dark cape and the shadows for cover, Jenner got very close to the entrance without the guard noticing.

When Jenner reached close enough to see who the guard was he laughed bitterly to himself. _Jessica? That little scrap a guard? This is too easy_, he thought as he crouched low to the ground and watched Jessica's movements. Jenner knew the layout of the lair, he had seen many of the plan ideas as well as the final design that he tried to find flaws in. Jenner simply hated the idea of Thorn Valley all together but decided since all the rats were here now he might as well try to capitalize on its weaknesses. One of which was the night guard. There was only one guard over night at the entrance with only the nightshift commander checking on his rounds. All he needed was some kind of distraction to get Jessica out of his way so he could slip inside. Knowing full well he could take her in a fight, Jenner didn't want to risk her sounding an alarm so he opted for a diversion. He watched her, sitting on a footstool, most likely lost in deep thought as she scanned the horizon, and realized he could actually get within a few feet of the entrance without her noticing, but not close enough.

Jenner went through several options in his mind before deciding the best course to take. He studied the hillside and decided it wasn't too steep to scale silently. He then judged if he could throw something hard enough from the hill do disturb the surrounding foliage. Silently, Jenner gathered a few sticks and leaves and stacked them close together in a pile. He then grabbed a rock that wasn't too heavy to throw, but had enough weight to make noise, and put it in his pocket.

Jenner slowly made his way to the hillside and began climbing as softly as he could, trying not to make any grunts or even breathe too hard. Jenner ascended the hill while always keeping his eye on Jessica who sat still, oblivious to his presence. The light from the entrance shined out a few feet on the ground, but not up on the hillside itself, hiding Jenner in the darkness. He climbed up several feet straight up the face before slowly edging himself left towards the entrance. Laying flat on his belly, Jenner crawled hand over hand, always making a firm grip on the soil before advancing.

Jenner was now directly three feet above the entrance to the layer. Looking down he studied Jessica who sat slightly to the right of doorway. Jenner found that there was a slight lip in the hillside where he was that he could rest on and use as a shield to hide behind. He edged as close as he could on the lip and accidentally disturbed some loose soil. Holding his breath, Jenner hugged his body as much as he could to the hillside and listened as the loose dirt skidded down the hill all the way to the entrance where it lost momentum but did spill a little - landing right on Jessica's shoulder.

The young guard was slightly startled by the dirt. It was only a small amount that hit her shoulder, hardly noticeable at all in any other situation. Jessica stood and took a step outside looking up the hillside. Jenner held as still as he possibly could. He breathed so slowly that it was barely enough to get by on. He fought hard the reflex to gasp for air as he watched the young guard examine the hillside. Jessica scanned the hill blankly, not knowing what to look for. She even made direct eye contact with Jenner without noticing his body pressed against the hillside. Her eyes had adjusted to the night but when she turned around, the light from the entrance flooded her vision slightly, making it impossible to make out details. And without a second thought, Jessica brushed the dirt off her shoulder and sat back down.

Jenner released what little breath he had and relaxed slightly, still keeping a firm grip on the hillside. He waited, letting Jessica's awareness drop a little. He stayed in his spot for what he judged must have been at least ten minutes, staring at the back of her head. Once it appeared she had fallen into a rhythmic breathing pattern, Jenner positioned his body differently, giving him a better angle to throw the rock with. Without ever taking his eye off the guard, Jenner retrieved the rock from his pocket and raised his body into position. His eyes were also adjusted to the night, and he looked over to find the pile of leaves he had made. Once he targeted it, Jenner looked again to the guard to see she had fallen into her own thoughts and was still breathing rhythmically. He gripped the rock hard in his right hand, drew his arm back and heaved it across the distance barely making a sound and immediately hugged the ground again.

His aim was true. The rock smacked the pile of foliage he'd assembled and made enough noise to get Jessica's attention. She rose again, more slowly this time, looking in the direction of the noise. She stood still so long that Jenner began cursing to himself, thinking she wouldn't take the bait. Finally, Jessica turned her head to look down the entrance. She hesitated then walked inside then right away came back out, holding a flashlight key-chain in her hands, and slowly walked to investigate the noise.

Jenner waited. His plan worked, but he needed enough distance between her and him so he could get quickly down the hillside and through the entrance. He watched her as she deliberately made every step towards the treeline. She had went two yards out when she paused. _No! Not enough room!_ Jessica stayed still for many moments that clicked by Jenner like hours. He needed her farther out to make his move. Then without waning Jessica switched on the flashlight and walked out farther in the field.

Jenner waited, judging her distance. Two yards. Two and a half yards. Three yards. He went for it. Dashing down the hill to the top of the entrance, Jenner grabbed the ledge by his right hand and did a one armed monkey swing down through the gate, throwing his body as far inside as he could. His feet landed with a thud that sounded impossibly loud to him, but looking back outside he saw Jessica continue on without noticing, and then sprinted down the empty hallway ten feet to his destination. On the right side of the hallway were all the rat's store rooms and, lucky for Jenner, the doors were not locked. Jenner grabbed the hanger-like door and yanked it far enough open to get inside then slammed it shut.

Fumbling around it the dark, Jenner found the light switch and flipped it on revealing a cavernous storeroom. At a glance it only looked like piles and piles of junk, haphazardly strewn about, but actually it was mostly belongings from the rosebush that had yet to be put away or decided what to do with. It looked like a giant garage sale just for rats. And somewhere among the junk, Jenner began searching for his possessions.

After Orion had come back inside from testing the intercom, he made his usual rounds to every position a guard was stationed. His shift had ended long ago and the night commander Castor was now the highest ranking guard on duty, but Orion liked the idea of keeping visible to all areas of the lair at all times of day. It was an extra incentive for his men (and women) to stay aware because he simply would not tolerate tardiness and laziness on the job and it also put his face in the community to those who normally didn't see him during the day. There was really no reason to work the extra hours but Orion felt it was something every good captain should do. He got the idea from Justin when he was captain.

It was around eleven o'clock at night by the time he went home - later than usual for him. Most of the hallways were empty and the overhead lights had automatically dimmed. His living quarters were off of the second entrance tunnel, not very far from the school, the library, and Nicodemus's chamber. It was intentionally close to the school because Sarah, who he shared his home with, worked in the school as a teacher for the younger aged rats as well as spending time in the day care for the rats who were not old enough for school.

Orion shut the door slowly as he entered. He could hear Sarah was still awake and found her in the bedroom sitting at her desk scribbling away on some paper. She had turned off the overhead light and was working by candlelight. Orion stood in the doorway and stretched his arms up high with a yawn then placed his hands above the door frame and leaned over. "You know that's not good for your eyes," he said.

"I know," she said softly, not looking up. "I just try to conserve when I can."

"What are you working on?" He asked, making a half hearted attempt to look over the desk.

"The daycare schedule for the next week," she answered. Since Sarah was the head of her department, she made out the schedules for the rats who would rotate in on day care and teaching assistants week to week.

"Oh," Orion said as he undressed, taking off his black sleeveless shirt and vest. He tossed the shirt onto a pile of dirty clothes and neatly folded the vest for the next day. He stood silently, rubbing his eyes, and then looked at the clock on the wall (actually the face of a wristwatch). Orion groaned slightly, realizing he had to be back on duty in seven hours to relieve Castor, and flopped on the bed. "I gotta quit doing these late nights all the time."

Sarah hummed in agreement without taking her eyes away from her work. Orion watched her from the bed, her back to him as she sat on the stool. He studied every arch and curve of her body from beneath her slightly transparent nightgown. Her fur was a soft light brown with white fur on the bottom half of her snout that extended from her neck to thighs - a color scheme that contrasted greatly with Orion's solid black coat. She had a delicate slim built without being skinny. Sarah was a first generation rat after the originals, so she was slightly older than Orion, but that didn't really matter to anyone. Age became rather meaningless to the rats once someone reached maturity.

Orion stretched some more as he lay in bed. "Do you know Brenda, the guard?" He asked.

Sarah paused for a moment, "Yeah, I know her. We were in the same class. Why do you ask?"

"Did you know she's got a thing going with Arthur?"

"With _Arthur_?" She asked surprised, then chuckled, "How long has that been going on?"

"I don't know. I just found out about it today."

She let out a "Hmm," before going back to her schedule.

"What?" Orion asked.

"Oh, nothing it's just that..." she paused, then said softly," they make a cute couple."

Orion grunted in agreement as he once again studied her at work by candlelight. The orange flame danced and flickered, her fur casting a soft glow from its light. _God she looks beautiful_, he thought. Salacious thoughts began streaming to his mind. At first he fought the urge but realized she had a few days before the schedule was do, so a little distraction wouldn't hurt.

Orion rolled out of bed and crept up behind her, sliding his hands around her waist, holding her against his bare skin. He gently kissed her neck before whispering in her ear, "We make a cute couple too."

She raised an eyebrow and smiled, humming once more in agreement.

He nuzzled her cheek with his nose, "It's nice to see you smile too."

"It's nice to smile," she said, putting down her pencil without any desire to pick it back up.

"You know what will make you smile more?" He asked, hiding his mischief.

"Tell me."

"This," he said. Slowly his hands began moving across her belly towards her abdomen, then arching his fingers he dove full force into a tickling frenzy.

Pinned between his arms, Sarah could only kick her feet and squeal with laughter. Grabbing his wrists, she tried desperately to unleash his grip. "Stop! Stop!" She shrieked, out of breath and her sides aching from laughter.

"Stop?" Orion asked without pausing his tickle assault.

"Yes! Stop it! Ahh, stop!"

Suddenly Orion clamped his arms around her, himself panting slightly from the struggle. "Okay, I'll stop." He held still for a moment as she fought joyful tears and tried to catch her breath. "On second though, no I won't." Shrieking once more, Orion lifted her up and tossed her gently into the bed. Pouncing on her, he began his tickle attack on her sides and adding his muzzle against her equally ticklish neck.

Now completely helpless, Sarah could only scream with laughter and try to pound Orion's back with her hands in a futile attempt to stop the pleasurable agony he was giving her. She tried kicking her legs free, but she was trapped and only caused greater friction. She managed to get both hands on his chest and tried pushing him off. "Stop, I give up! Stop!"

With lightning fast reflexes, Orion grabbed her wrists and pinned her arms over her head, ending his tickle onslaught. He looked down on her exhausted body trembling beneath him, her eyes streaming with tears of laughter. He hadn't seen her look this blissful in a long time. "You give up?" He asked.

"Yes," she said smiling.

He lowered his face to hers and asked more seductively, "Do you give in?"

"Yes," she said, giving herself over to absolute pleasure.

Jenner looked at the watch he had found in the storeroom. If it was right, which it seemed to be, it was just past twelve thirty. Most of the rats were sound asleep, or near it. He had found his things where he had expected them: hastily thrown into boxes at the last minute and stored around the edge of everything else which meant they were some of the last things to be brought into the storeroom from the Rosebush. Most of his possessions were meaningless at the moment. There were several journals, which no doubt had been looked through by other rats, and many other books he kept, the majority of which were philosophy texts, most by Neitzsche with a few by Freud. What he was really after was a fresh change of clothes, the ones he had been wearing for two weeks solid had been torn to threads after traveling nonstop to Thorn Valley from the Fitzgibbon's farm, and his weapons. Aside from his sword, Jenner owned many hand carved knives of all shapes and sizes.

He bundled up a change of clothes to take with him so he could change once he had a chance to bathe. He contemplated grabbing a new cape as well but decided against it since it was more for show and would only end up snagging on tree branches. Then he went for his knives. After opening up one box he had found a few, but upon examining the collection he frowned, knowing he had more somewhere.

Jenner found what appeared to be another of his boxes, but it was buried by two other boxes of junk. He grabbed the two top boxes and heaved them over on top of another box that had been lying on the floor. What ever was in them, it was heavy. Jenner had to suppress a grunt as he lifted the boxes, wishing he had tried moving them one at a time. He then grabbed the uncovered box and opened it to reveal the rest of his knife collection. Whoever had packed them up had not been careful and had just thrown them in haphazardly with more texts and notebooks of Jenner's.

Jenner squatted down and began sifting through the dozens of knives he owned, deciding which ones to take with him for the time being. He grabbed one blade which looked like a smaller version of his sword and began examining the blade's sharpness. As he did this, Jenner leaned back on his heels and lost his balance, falling backwards into the two boxes he had just moved, sending them crashing to the floor.

The clatter was thunderously loud. Both boxes contained machine parts of some sort. Bolts, gears, pipes, small motors and other assorted leftovers of the move from the Rosebush. Metal crashed against metal as machine parts went everywhere very loudly. Cursing himself, Jenner quickly jumped to his feet and scrambled towards the door, knowing he made enough noise to attract the guard's attention. He put his ear to the door and listened for footsteps. Jenner's fur stood on end, because if she sounded the alarm, he was doomed. Remarkably, no alarm was sounded. Jessica, the guard, didn't even get on the intercom to report the noise. Jenner heard the faint sounds of footsteps as she came to investigate. _Stupid girl_, he thought. Either she thought something had fallen on its own, or she thought someone was working in the storeroom late. Jenner decided whichever it was, he would take advantage of her gullibility.

Jenner flipped off the light and felt his way in the dark behind some boxes nearby and waited. By the light in the hallway, he could see shadow's of her feet as she neared the door. She stopped in front and paused. _No, no! Come in here now!_ Jenner feared she might do the wise thing and call for backup. _Come on you stupid girl, open the door and see for yourself!_ Jenner held still in his crouch, keeping his eyes on the thin slit of light below the door. He ignored his tense muscles that ached from desperation as he could feel adrenaline rushing through him, his body wound up tight, waiting to spring open.

She knocked loudly on the door. Then a moment later, Jessica opened the door and poked her head through. Light from the hall crept in through the opening, fortunately for Jenner the light was in the opposite direction from his hiding place.

"Hello," Jessica said, her light voice echoing against the bare walls of the storeroom. She looked from side to side in the darkness. "Is anyone in here?" She paused again, then slowly opened the door wider and stepped through. She closed the door behind her and flipped the light on at the same time.

Before she realized the sound of footsteps, Jessica went sprawling to the floor, tackled by some great force that was holding her down. Another rat. Jessica fought desperately to see her attacker. The rat held her pinned to the ground on her stomach, feeling a great amount of weight on top of her, Jessica immediately feared the worst and fought even more violently. Finally, she had managed to roll onto her back, now able to see her attacker.

"Jenner!" She cried, her voice trembled slightly at saying his name. She was stunned slightly, not sure what to do.

"Jessica," he said calmly, his voice almost purring her name. "What's a little girl like you doing here all by herself?" As he asked, Jenner's eyes gazed slowly up and down Jessica's body, examining it in some way. He was nearly twice her size and could easily overpower the female rat.

Disgusted and dismayed, Jessica didn't know what to say and struggled to get free. Jenner was not being careful and let her get in a hard jab to his chest. The blow slightly knocked the wind out of him, and Jenner's grasp on her weakened. Jessica squirmed free and tried to run past Jenner's doubled over body, but he recovered quickly and grabbed her foot as she ran by, sending her down to the ground once again.

Jenner clenched her ankle with both hands and wielding her body like a baseball bat sent her flying into the hard wall. Her body landing violently with a thud, Jessica's mind became overwhelmed with fright as her body reeled in pain. Gasping for breath, Jessica saw Jenner's sword lying on the floor and scampered on her hands and knees to get it.

Jenner stood back, judging her movement as she held the blade out defensively. She had injured herself with the fall. Her body was covered in dust with blood trickling from her lip and her right leg limping. Jessica clutched the sword in both hands. She was no stranger to handling a blade, it was a required skill to become a guard. But Jenner had more experience and was thinking far more clearly than she was.

She swung wildly with the sword. Jenner easily avoided her swing and placed himself between her and the door. He was unarmed, but clearly had the advantage. She swung again, and again Jenner avoided it, this time moving closer to her.

Jessica backpedaled, her breath coming out ragged and nervous. Her eyes were wide and her hands were shaking. Jenner on the other hand, was very calm as he slowly advance on her, his arms held out ready to grab her. Jessica sized up the distance between them and jumped forward swinging the sword for his neck. Jenner ducked, but she quickly brought the blade down and lunged forward, trying to stab him. Jenner sidestepped the jab, grabbed her wrist, and rolled into her body slamming his elbow into her head. The blow caused her to drop the sword, but Jenner held his grasp on her wrist and with one fluid movement, like some deadly ballroom dance move, spun her body around and pinned her to him.

She was trapped. Her back to his chest and her arms pinned by his left arm which was wrapped around her waist. This time he held her with all his strength. A grip she could not break free from. All she could do was feel his breath against her cheek. As a show of his triumph, Jenner dug his claws into her arm hard enough to make her wince.

"What's the matter, Jessica?" He asked in his soothingly psychotic voice. "All that training gone to waste?" He held his head right against hers as he talked, making it impossible for her to see him as he whispered in her ear. "You know, I didn't just beat you. You beat yourself. You reacted blindly and left yourself wide open. A rookie mistake. How pathetic you must feel." She could feel the joy in is voice as he ending his sentence grinning triumphantly.

"What do you want?" She demanded, trying to struggle but doing so only tightened his grip on her, crushing as it was.

"What do I want?" He repeated slowly, acting as if the question meant something. "Well, my dear, there are a lot of things I want," he moved his lips directly to her ears, close enough for her to feel the moisture off his breath, "and there are a lot of things I need."

"If you let me go, I'll see what I can do," she said desperately.

He paused, pretending to think about her offer. "No," he finally said, whispering into her ear. "I think I'll just take what I want." Jenner's right arm was free and his hand began roaming Jessica's body. Her struggles were useless as he ran his hand from her thigh up her back and over her shoulder with pseudo-sensuality. She stood helpless as Jenner produced a knife from his belt, fearing any attempt to break free now would only get her killed. Jenner brought the point of the blade to her chin and pressed gently. All Jessica could do was hold her breath in fright. Jenner traced the edge of her chin as he brought the knife down to her neck, sliding it over the contours of her throat down to the collar of her shirt. He slid the blade between the seem until in stopped at a button and with a flick of the knife that made her shudder, he sliced off the button and continued down her shirt. After two more buttons met the same fate, Jenner put the knife away. He slid his hand slowly between her breasts before groping her left one tightly and licking the inside of her ear. He only laughed when she flinched away in disgust.

He began massaging her breast and kissing her on the neck. Her soft whimpers only increased his ego. He relished his victory over her and was going to humiliate her. He released her breast and traced his right hand back down her thigh. This time he hiked up her shirt and slid his hand to her bare abdomen. Jessica began crying, but held her composure as she lay trapped in his death-grip. Once again Jenner whispered into her ear.

"You know something, Jessica?" He asked as he ran his hand through the courser hairs between her thighs, his fingertips brushing against her most precious possession. "I haven't been with a woman for over two weeks." His fingers probed farther, tracing the edges of her womanhood. "How would you like to be the one to please me? I guarantee you've never had anything better." Jenner thrust his pelvis against hers hard enough to make her gasp. "What do you think?" He asked with his fingers on the edge of violation.

Jessica's lips were quivering and tears flowed freely down her cheeks, but she refused to breakdown. "I would rather die," she said through her shaking, trembling voice with barely enough strength to be audible.

Jenner's grip tightened even more around her body, nearly squeezing out all her breath. His right hand gripped her like a vice between her legs, pushing him against her backside even more rudely than before. "Oh Jessica, Jessica... You could have had it all. You would rather die?" He asked her, his voice as soul crushing as ever.

"I would rather die and go to hell," she fumed, "than to fuck you, you son of a bitch!"

Jenner's right hand slid from her thighs and fell behind his back. "Suit yourself," he said softly. Suddenly, Jenner raised his right hand up high, clenching a knife, and drove it into her ribcage, straight into her heart. Jessica tried to scream but the blow drained her of almost everything she had. All she could do was gasp for air as Jenner slowly pushed the blade in her chest. She tried crying out but her voice failed her. As her body shook, Jenner held her taunt as he drove the blade to its hilt in her heart. "Shhhh..." He whispered in her ear as she struggled for her last breath, silencing her voice for the final time. Within a few moments her body stopped convulsing and went limp in his arms.

Jenner released her and let her body crumple to the ground. "If it makes you feel better," he said to the lifeless body, "I had better things to do than to fuck you anyway." He knelt down and pulled the knife from her ribs and wiped the blood off on her shirt. As he wiped the blade clean, Jenner continued to examine his kill. "Still," he said, running his hand over her dead thigh, reaching back to feel her rear, "I'm not saying I wouldn't have enjoyed it." He grinned and let out a devious giggle as he finished cleaning the blade.

He continued to kneel on that spot, leering at her body. He paused before putting his knife away, lost in thought as his eyes traced Jessica's curves. The thrill of the kill was pumping adrenaline through his veins. Rubbing against her body had kicked in a rush of testosterone. Staring at her body only reminded Jenner of his burning loins. When Jenner was in the Rosebush, he bedded a rat every night. If it wasn't his wife Sarah, which it hadn't been for a long time, it was someone else. Unlike Sarah, Jenner was very good at hiding his affairs by means of blackmail or humiliation. And of course there were those few females who welcomed him and gladly kept their secret. But for the past two weeks, Jenner only had himself. The hard journey to Thorn Valley kept his cravings in check, but now that he had arrived at Thorn Valley, his addiction to the female body came roaring back to life wanting to make up for the two weeks it missed.

Jenner blinked, bringing himself back to the present. He sheathed his knife and stood up. "Too bad you're dead," he said matter of factly, and started cleaning up the mess created by the toppled boxes. Killing Jessica had been part of his plan all along. Originally he was going to surprise her on his way out and take care of her then, but now he had to clean up his mess quickly and move out before whoever was on night duty made his rounds and found her missing. Rosebush procedure, and now presumably Thorn Valley's, when a guard turned up missing from his or her post, was to signal all off duty guards and form a search party, which could only go out at night. Only did the most extreme cases call for a daytime search at the Rosebush, but since Thorn Valley didn't have the threat of humans, a daytime search was possible.

Jenner straightened up all the boxes he had disturbed, leaving the storeroom to look just as it did before he entered. He had set aside a change of clothes, his sword and several knives, a sleeping bag to make his nights more tolerable, and a hiking backpack he had found in order to carry it all in. He quickly stuffed his items in the bag and tied it closed when he heard footsteps again. _The night guard_, he cursed. This was going to get messier than he thought. One missing guard was one thing. But if the front door guard _and_ the night time captain turned up missing at once, the rats would tear the valley apart looking for clues. Jenner felt his adrenaline start flowing again as his plan began to get more complicated each second.

As he did before, Jenner switched off the light and hid behind some nearby boxes. Once again the footsteps stopped in front of the door, only this rat didn't hesitate.

Castor, the night shift commander, was finishing his rounds by checking on the front door's post. As he walked down the long hallway to the front entrance he tried rubbing his eyes clean of any sleepiness he felt. After making his last rounds, he had dozed off in his office, making him late for his checkups. He became very alert, though, once he saw light coming from one of the storerooms. As he neared the door, the light suddenly switched off. Castor quickened his pace and went right for the door, hoping to catch whoever was in their off guard.

Castor threw the door open and hit the light, ready to draw his sword. Before he could say anything, he was cut off by the body lying face down on the floor. "What the hell?" Castor said aloud. He stepped towards the body and rolled it over. "Jessica!" Her shirt had blood all over, concentrated more heavily on a spot over her heart. Surly she was dead, but Castor checked her neck for a pulse anyway, his mind reeling in confusion.

"Who would have thought they would make you Night Commander?" Jenner said.

Shocked, Castor spun around so fast he lost his balance and fell over. When he looked up, he saw Jenner quietly closing the door with a sinister grin on his face. Castor's eyes lit up. "Jenner!" He exclaimed. "How did you get -" Castor realized the answer to his own question was lying dead on the floor. Getting up, Castor brushed dirt off of him, forgetting about his dead guard.

Jenner stood motionless. "You didn't answer my question." He said.

"What do you mean?" Castor asked.

"I said who made you the Night Commander?" Jenner said.

"What? Do you think I don't have what it takes?" Castor snarled.

"That's not what I asked," Jenner said calmly. "What I said was why are you the Night Commander and not the Captain of the Guards?"

"Because Justin, in his infinite wisdom, appointed that bastard Orion."

"_Orion_?" Jenner fumed.

"Justin said Orion had fairer judgment skills than I did."

"Judgment skills?" Jenner spat.

"I told him to take his skills and judge my ass," Castor boasted.

"No you didn't."

"No, I didn't, but I sure as hell wanted to. How long have you been here?"

"Not very long. I only came for a few of my things before this bitch interrupted me." Jenner waved his hand towards his kill.

Castor looked at the body. "Too bad," he said. "She did have a nice ass."

"That she did, but now that you're here, you've saved me the effort of finding you myself."

"What's going on?"

"What was left off at the Rosebush will be finished here. I'm taking over this colony. Anyone who stands in my way will be destroyed just as I did this weakling excuse for a guard. Castor, my dear comrade, we're going to war."

Castor's eyes could not hide his excitement. "We'll be there," he said.

"'We?'" Jenner asked.

Castor nodded. "Once we found out you were alive the group stayed together. We've been waiting your return Jenner. None of the men ever doubted you."

"What of Sullivan?" Jenner asked.

"That fat bastard works for Justin now. It's a good thing he was never let in on all the plans or else he would have spilled his guts by now."

"Yes, in more ways than one. it was a mistake to ever think something of him."

"What's the plan?" Castor asked.

"We wait. I'm going to lay low for a bit. Assemble the men as quietly as you can. Then we must meet somehow."

"That can be arranged, but you didn't help out much by killing one of my guards. What do we do with her?"

"I'll take care of that."

"But I have to report her missing. There will be a search party tomorrow."

"I said I'll take care of it. Don't worry your pretty little head about her. How often do you make your rounds?"

"Every three hours. It takes about forty five minutes to hit every checkpoint, the front door being the last stop."

"And would there be any other rat - for any reason - that would check up on her other than you?"

"No. Unless some rat went out on his own accord, which never happens this late."

"Never?" Jenner asked to be sure.

"Never. There has never been any report of a rat going outside this late at night. Not since the colony got here and never before when it was just the working crew."

"Then here is what we do. You made you rounds just now and found her right were she was supposed to be. She didn't act sleepy or strange in any way. She was just as normal as she always was. On your next round you found her missing. That's all. She just turned up missing. From there you will go through your normal procedure."

"There will be a search party right away."

"That's why you're going to give me time to get away. Tomorrow we will meet at one AM."

"That works out perfectly. Pollux is on front door duty that night. We'll get out undetected, but were will we meet you?"

"You'll find me," Jenner said, putting on his loaded backpack.

"What are you going to do with her?" Castor asked, looking at the corpse.

"You needn't worry about young Jessica," Jenner said, stooping down to pick the still warm body in his arms. "She will not be found by anyone. Besides the fish that is." Jenner's sadistic grin came back and Castor couldn't help but share his leader's cruel glee.

"There's blood on the ground," Castor pointed out.

"Then clean it up when I'm gone." Jenner walked to the door and motioned with his head, "Check outside for anyone."

Castor turned the doorknob and flipped off the lights before poking his head outside to look. After judging it was safe, he opened the door all the way. "It's clear."

Jenner stepped out into the hallway with the backpack over his shoulders and dead body in his arms. "Remember, she was acting normal. Do not create any suspicions for anything. And make them believe you," Jenner said.

"They will," Castor answered, nodding to Jenner.

"Tomorrow night then. Bring no one who can't be trusted." With those last words, Jenner walked off towards the moonlight outside the front entrance.

Castor stood there watching his leader effortlessly lugging the dead rat with him as he left without a sound and could only beam with pride.

Elizabeth looked up at the stars. She had not been able to sleep with the decision of her family's move weighing on her head. From her vantage point on the big rock, she could see the farmhouse in the distance above the tall grass. It was silent, completely black with the night.

She didn't know why she hesitated so. Now that NIMH was gone, she was relieved, but she still had uneasy thoughts lingering in her mind. Thoughts of nagging uncertainty that throbbed like a slightly stubbed toe.

A chill in the air made Elizabeth pull her cape close to her body. As she shivered, she tried to figure out why she was uncomfortable with the move. The other animals had all moved to their summer homes, so she would have friendly company when she moved her family. Her house was moved and would be there in the fall when she returned, nothing to worry about there. NIMH was gone, driven off by the farmer. So what is it?

Every year she always got nervous when she moved. In the end, it always passed. But it wasn't that she felt nervous, she didn't know how she felt. There was something in the air. Something oppressive, like thunder. Whatever it was, she was tired of it.

_It's Justin, _she thought. _You're just thinking of Justin_. Elizabeth sighed, knowing it was the truth. She was preoccupied with Justin, always thinking of him - dreaming of him. _Am I crazy? Am I crazy to want him?_ Elizabeth didn't let her children know it, but she wanted to go to Thorn Valley even more than they did. _But when we move, I'll have plenty of things to keep me busy_. That seemed to satisfy her somewhat until she thought more about it. _But What if Justin writes back?... I'll just tell Jeremy where we're moving to. He can get a message to me if he has to. That's what I'll do. It's settled then. We'll move tomorrow._

Elizabeth nodded her head firmly to agree with her thoughts. At last she had made a decision she could live with. It wasn't the best idea in the world, but it was enough. It was an excuse to get moving and once she could at least do that, everything else would fall into place.

The sound of a broken stick caught her attention. _Dragon_! was her immediate thought and she ducked down on top of the rock to hide herself. She held her breath and looked around. There was noise coming from somewhere. The faint sound of rustling grass. Suddenly she saw the source of the sound.

Three men crouched low in the grass. They were dressed all in black. From her point of view, Elizabeth could see they even had their faces painted black. They moved quickly, but quietly towards the farmhouse. They came from the right of the house, through the tall grass. Their movements fluid like water through a stream. The sight was eerie. Elizabeth felt her fur stand on end. She was too scarred to move and could only sit and watch.

The men cleared the grass and quickly crossed the yard. They had something in their hands. It was hard to make out in the night, but what they were holding reminded Elizabeth of the farmer's gun. Only these guns they were holding didn't look like the farmer's gun. They were smaller, stranger... deadlier. She shivered at her own description of the odd weapons.

The men reached the house and slowed down their advance, stepping slowly on the wooden porch, not making a sound. They went to the door. Two men on the left side, one on the right. One of the men on the left made a motion with his hand. Elizabeth sat transfixed as the man on the right pulled out a small metal can from a pocket and sprayed some liquid on the door's hinges. He put the can away and slowly reached over and opened the door. Elizabeth was amazed. That screen door was notoriously noisy. It could be heard opening from across the yard. But not this time. It glided silently on its hinges. The sight perplexed Elizabeth, but it didn't even begin to prepare her for what came next.

One of the two men on the left stood in front of the door and suddenly kicked it so hard it nearly flew off its hinges. The three men immediately stormed inside the house. It happened so fast, Elizabeth didn't even have time to jump. She could hear some muffled commotion from within the house, but it was too far away to make anything out clearly. Suddenly there were flashes of light from the bedroom windows. There were several flashes, like lights burning out. There were five flickers of light and then more flashes of light from the window down the hall. Three more flashes. And then...

Silence.

Elizabeth released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. _Am I dreaming_? The world had become a surreal oddity. No sound came from the house. No sound of any animals. The wind barely blew enough to rustle the grass. Complete silence.

Confused and scarred, Mrs. Brisby slinked down the rock and went back into her home for a night on uneasy sleep.


	5. Chapter 4: Standing in the Shadows

**Darkest Days**

By: J.C. Foster

**Chapter 5: **

**"World Coming Down"**

The ground shook violently enough to nearly knock Elizabeth out of her bed. With a gasp she awoke, shocked by the rumblings as dirt fell from the ceiling. Only by grabbing the bed frame did she keep from falling, but even her bed was shaking. The whole world moved and was devoured by a thunder-like growl that deafened her ears. Dropping to the floor, Elizabeth was surrounded by her children screaming in terror as they too were thrown from their beds. The dirt beneath their feet vibrated so severely that Elizabeth had to crouch to the ground to keep from falling, gripping all her children at the same time.

"What's happening," cried Martin. "What's going on?"

"Mother!" Teresa screamed.

Timothy was silent and Cynthia was to scared to scream and could only cry.

"I don't know," Elizabeth said, trying to be heard over the thundering noise, but her cracking voice was barely audible to her children. "Stay down. Stay calm." She said, trying to comfort them.

The shaking continued, like an earthquake but much more mechanical. The bed-frames clattered loudly as they jumped around under the vibration. Dirt rained down from the ceiling like some kind of ungodly snow. Shelves and drawers crashed down to the ground as if the world were being turned on its side. In the chaos, Elizabeth noticed an odd rhythm to the pounding of the ground, as if some great machine was controlling it all.

Then with a thud, the shaking abruptly softened. It didn't stop, but the volume of whatever had caused the shaking had been turned down tremendously. The ground became solid beneath their grief-stricken feet. The beds and other furniture quit rumbling around as if they had a life of their own. Elizabeth and her children were all gasping for breath and shaking, hardly able to settle themselves.

"Is everyone okay?" Elizabeth asked, checking each of her children. Putting her hands on their shoulders to calm them down and to make sure herself that they were still real - to make sure the world was still real. Martin and Teresa seemed shocked, but okay. Timothy looked as though he were barely fazed at all. But Cynthia was worse off than any as she had crumpled to the ground, crying uncontrollable tears of fright. Elizabeth pulled her youngest tight against her. "It's all right Cynthia, it's all right."

"What just happened?" Martin said, looking up at the ceiling for answers.

"I don't know," Elizabeth said. Her eyes were opened wide as where her children's, except for Cynthia's which were closed tight as her sobs subsided. Looking around, Mrs. Brisby gathered all her children close for comfort.

After minutes that passed like hours, they sat unmoving - afraid to move. Afraid the ground would open up and swallow them all. Then there was more rumbling. They grew tense, but realized it was a familiar rumble and didn't panic. The farmer had driven his truck around enough that they recognized the vibration caused by tire treads. Only this time the vibrations felt different. Heavier. More vibrations followed. There was more than one car or truck up there.

Elizabeth snapped back to reality. Looking on the ground, she saw her cape and snatched it up, tying it around her neck. "Mom, what are you doing?" Martin asked, a crack of concern in his voice.

"Stay here," she said. "I won't be long. I'm only going to see what's going on."

"Mommy!" Cynthia cried and tried to run to Elizabeth before she was stopped by Teresa.

"Don't worry, Cynthia. I'll be right back. Children take care of your little sister."

"It'll be okay," Teresa said, holding Cynthia close.

Elizabeth crept slowly to her home's entrance, sifting through the loose ruble that used to be her ceiling. She could still feel the ground pulsate softly, like a giant heartbeat. Amazingly enough, the tunnel entrance remained intact through all the shaking.

She ascended quickly. Once reaching the top, Elizabeth could hear voices. Men's voices, and lots of them. She slowly poked her head topside and looked around. There where men everywhere. Standing by the house. Running around in the yard. Running from the woods. Getting in and out of trucks. They all seemed so busy, Elizabeth felt confident none of them would notice her, and she ventured out completely. She crawled out, keeping her body low to the ground. Everywhere she looked, there where men running about. She made her way over to the big stone which blocked a large part of the yard from view. Once at the stone, Elizabeth slithered to the edge and peered around - then was stunned by what she saw.

The giant black helicopter looked so out of place, Elizabeth couldn't help being taken aback. Its mammoth rotor blades slowly spinning to a halt. A man was talking to someone inside the huge machine that seemed to take up the entire horizon. The man left and the one inside the helicopter stepped out, taking a headset off his ears and putting them down on the seat. The man was dressed like all the others. He had black boots, camouflage colored pants, a black shirt and a jacket that matched the pants, complete with a name tag on the breast pocket. But his face looked different from the others. His skin was pail, his hair thinner from age, and his eyes had a piercing stare that frightened Elizabeth. The man looked around and appeared to be unhappy with something. He raised a hand radio and spoke into it. "Valentine, we're behind schedule. Report."

_Valentine_? Thought Elizabeth. _The man from..._

Her own thoughts trailed off as she saw the NIMH RV driving up the farm road. Returning back to where it was the day before. In a flash, Elizabeth remembered the strange men who appeared in the night and broke into the farmhouse. She then remembered farther back to the argument the farmer had with the man from NIMH the previous morning. The puzzle pieces fit together all to chillingly. Elizabeth looked back to the man from the helicopter and strained her eyes to read his name tag.

Her blood ran cold when she recognized the letters: Schultz. The man who started it all. The man who created the Rats of NIMH. The man who Justin, Nicodemus and Jonathan had escaped from years ago had caught up with them. _This isn't happening_, she thought. _This isn't real. I'm dreaming. This is a bad dream_.

"Valentine!" Schultz barked in his radio again.

The sound of his voice verified that it was not a dream. Schultz was standing right in front of her and she couldn't move. The man she remembered as Valentine came jogging up.

"The van got caught in some mud back on the road," Valentine said.

"That doesn't excuse everyone else," Schultz fumed. "This base camp was supposed to be set up _before_ I arrived and here I am finding all you people playing catch up!" Valentine could only stand there under Schultz's stare silently. Finally Schultz slammed a notebook against Valentine's chest and said: "Let's get set up."

The two men walked towards the house. Valentine opening the notebook and began writing notes. "What do you want us to do first?" He asked.

"First I want you to show me this cave you found all this junk buried in. Meanwhile, I want you to have the others comb the area and see if there where any animals living nearby. Any samples that can be collected, living or dead, I want them examined for anything. I want to see just what these rats where up to." With that, Schultz and Valentine went inside the house where many of the men had been carrying equipment since they got there.

Elizabeth slowly turned around, pressing her back to the rock. _Living or dead_. The words rang coldly in her ears. She sank down to her haunches and covered her face with her hands. _No, no, no. What are we going to do? What are _they_ going to do? He'll find it out. He'll find it all out. Everything Justin and the rats did. He'll know it all._

Schultz came back out on the front porch. "Look up in the attic, there might be a nest of squirrels. Also check around the edge of the yard, there are probably some rabbit holes out there. Didn't you say there was a farm cat? Try to get it too. Just look for anything. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, whatever. Just find something."

_Mice_! Snapping back to her senses, Elizabeth ran back to her home and shot down the tube, finding her children dressed and worried. "Come on, children," she said panicked. "We're going."

"Going where?" Teresa asked.

"What's going on Mom?" Martin asked.

"NIMH is here. There's no time. They're looking for animals. We need to go now!"

"But Mom, I thought NIMH left yesterday," Teresa protested.

"Don't argue Teresa, they're here. Grab your sister, we need to get to Jeremy's before we're spotted." Elizabeth was scared, but found inner strength coming from somewhere. She had a plan and simply had to escape. She had to warn Justin. "Martin, Timothy, watch you sisters, and follow me closely."

She bolted up the entrance tube and waited for her children. There was an otherworldly pressure weighing down on her. She looked around at all the men wondering around aimlessly looking for something. "Come on!" She said.

Once all the children where above ground, Timothy chimed in. "How are we going to get out Mom?"

Elizabeth looked around wildly, but kept her thoughts focused. The men from NIMH were everywhere. Five mice standing in the open were going to get spotted very fast. She acted quickly.

"Everyone, hold hands," she said. "These men are looking for animals, but they aren't looking for us. We are going to run right for the trees in the direction of the train tracks - the old bridge. Hopefully we can catch them by surprise and they won't see us soon enough. We'll be safe once we're there. I doubt they would try to follow us. As soon as I say it's clear, we're going to run for it. You must hold on tight!"

The children were speechless. On one hand they had never heard their mother so commanding before and on the other hand they where scared beyond their wit's end. They stood by silently waiting their mother's word.

Elizabeth watched from behind the stone. It was a straight shot to the trees. Luckily there would be some tall grass to hide them, but it would also slow them down. Beside the driveway and throughout the yard there where men. Some of them even had nets. But most looked unmotivated in their task. She saw as the men directly in her path began to spread out, widening the gap between them. Thinning themselves out. After three men wondered by, she saw what was her only chance. Elizabeth squeezed Martin's hand. She looked back at her children, all of which were afraid to move. "Get ready," she said, then looked back to make sure she had a clear shot. "_Now_!"

They ran headlong out into the yard, running as fast as they could while staying together. Elizabeth held Martin's hand. Behind him was Timothy, then Teresa who was carrying Cynthia. All running in unison.

"There! Right there!" Schultz yelled.

Elizabeth panicked. Schultz had spotted them. She had not seen him before, he had been blocked from her view somehow. "Faster!" She screamed. Her hand clamped down on Martin's and her pace quickened. She thought for sure her children couldn't keep up, but looking back she saw that they remarkable were staying with her.

The thumping sound of men's footsteps came running to Elizabeth's ears as they rushed into the tall grass. Halfway there. More footsteps neared. Sounds of confusion followed. The tall grass hiding them.

"I don't see them," someone said.

"Over there, what's that?" Asked someone else.

"Use you damn nets!" Screamed Schultz.

Elizabeth saw the woods closing in. Any moment she expected a net to come smashing over her, or worse, that one of the children would loose their grip and fall behind. But it didn't. Only the sound of confused men, searching for something they couldn't see. The trees were close. Ten feet. Five feet. Two feet.

"I got 'em," cried a man.

A hunting net came crashing down to the ground, missing Teresa's tail by inches as the Brisby family escaped into the woods, heading straight for Jeremy's nest, and from there to Thorn Valley.

Justin was pissed. He stormed out of the lair with a look on his face that could peal paint. The front guard didn't even try to say hi to the rat's leader as he went by. He marched straight out to the guard's firing range where guards trained at outside. The range was were guards new and old or in training practiced everything they knew. There were self defense sessions, sparring mats, obstacle courses where the guards trained like football players, and a firing range for which the area was named after.

When Justin had told Elizabeth the rats were ready for anything, he wasn't kidding. Several years ago, several guards came up with a weapon that would help the rats should they encounter an adversary they couldn't fight face to face: a crossbow. Rats had many natural enemies, many of which could not be fought up close. That was where the idea for a rat crossbow came in.

The design had gone through many phases before it was finished. The final product consisted of a fairly heavy rifle-like crossbow that was half as tall as a normal rat. It was shoulder mounted and required two hands to fire. In order to fire an arrow that small and make it effective, the string tension had to be increased greatly. However, in doing this, it made it nearly impossible for a normal rat to pull the string back by hand. The crossbow was designed with a special pump-action mechanism that used a series of block and tackle pulleys to multiply the rat's strength in order to pull the string pack. A side affect of the crossbow's unusual design resulted in a very loud snap whenever it was fired. It sounded almost like a whip cracking. The crossbow was also designed with a side loading magazine that could hold an additional twenty arrows that were automatically loaded with each pump. It was a difficult weapon to use, but it was effective. The weapons were sturdy and accurate. Even though they were almost never used, each guard was trained expertly on the weapon in case a time did arrive that required their use. That was where the firing range came in.

But Justin didn't come there to squeeze off a few rounds. That wasn't satisfying enough. Drilling a target from five feet away wasn't enough - he wanted to tear something apart by his own hands.

At that time, late in the morning, there were about a dozen rats working at the firing range. All of them were off duty guards except for Orion who supervised some of the morning training sessions. Orion was slightly surprised at seeing his boss out there. Justin was no longer a guard and while the firing range wasn't off limits from anyone, it was unusual to see any non-guards there.

"Well, this is something new," Orion said.

Justin barely acknowledged his presence. He merely grunted as he grabbed a six inch dowel rod off a pile on the ground. He walked over to were the ground was softer and drove the sharpened end of the rod into the ground, twisting it until it was firmly set. Justin then threw his cape off, grabbed a nearby sword and brought it down across the tip of the rod - cleaving half and inch off the top. He repeated, this time swinging in the opposite direction, cleaving another half inch cleanly off. Justin continued this until only two inches of the rod were left and then brought the sword straight down splitting it like a log.

Justin looked around, catching his now ragged breath, to see most of the rats had stopped what they were doing and stared at him perplexed. "As you were," he growled, with fire in his eyes and then angrily drove the sword tip into the ground.

Orion had never seen Justin so upset and tried to calm him down. "Need to let off a little steam, Justin?" He asked.

Justin only stared at him. Finally the whip crack of a crossbow broke the silence. "I just had a chat with our good old buddy Cameron," he said at last.

Orion rolled his eyes, "Great, what did he do now?" Asked the Captain of the Guards.

"He didn't _do_ anything. That's the point. I swear, I get so fed up with him that I wonder if it's even worth the effort."

"Of course it's worth the effort boss," Orion said. "If you let one bad example loose then you might as well forget about Nicodemus's plans for a perfect community because more will follow Cameron's footsteps."

"A perfect community is impossible," Justin said grimly.

"Yes, I know that," Orion answered almost bitterly. "Perfection is impossible, but we can try to get as close as we can right? I knew a rat once who said that."

"For Christ's sake, Orion. Can it with the pep talk. I've been up all night."

"We've _all_ been up all night," Orion shot back. "But it doesn't give any of us the right to act like a jerk."

Justin raised his fists to his head as if to pull his hair out. Instead he released a shout of frustration. In a flash he grabbed another dowel rod and drove it into the ground. Taking his sword back up, he viciously swung striking it right in the middle, sending the top half sailing through the air, and shoved the sword back in the ground.

"Feel better?" Orion asked.

"A little," Justin answered. "I just imagined that stick was Cameron."

"Look Justin," Orion said, putting a hand on his leader's shoulder. "Right now we've got bigger fish to fry. There are more important things than Cameron's petty antics right now. And once we figure it all out and get it over with, we'll go and beat that lazy rat within an inch of his life, but for right now, you need to focus just as much as the rest of us."

"You're right," Justin said. "And since you're right, you can wipe that shit eating grin right off your face because Castor's coming."

The two rats straightened up as Castor approached to report.

"Any news?" Orion asked before Justin could.

"Still no sign," Castor said.

"What about the search parties? Have the search parties turned up anything?" Justin asked.

"_No_, I said no sign Justin." Castor said, frustrated.

"Your searching the woods now, right?" Orion asked.

"We are searching the woods, yes," Castor felt like a child, repeating his father's instructions back.

"Now when you last checked on her," Justin said. "She didn't say anything? She didn't act funny? Nothing?"

"No Justin, I told you. She was acting just like she always does. She was sitting on the stool. She was looking at the trees and the stars. She was keeping an eye out just like she always does."

"I don't need your attitude Castor. I have a guard missing from her post on your shift and I want some god damn answers. So if you don't have any, go find some!"

"You don't think I want the same thing Justin? She was _my fucking guard_! I want to know what the hell is going on just as much as you do!"

"Shut up, both of you," Orion interrupted. "Here comes Pollux."

Castor's younger brother, Pollux, came running up to them waving his arms. "The bird is back," he said. "At the front gate."

"So," said Castor.

"This time he brought the whole Brisby Family," Pollux answered.

Without another word, Justin, Orion, and Castor left Pollux behind as they bolted for the front gate. The main entrance had turned into a truly bizarre sight. Once again a small crowd had gathered, only this time there where two birds. And with them the family of five mice. As soon as Justin saw them, he sprinted ahead of the others.

Arthur was there, trying to calm everyone down. The birds stood back away from everyone with concerned, yet confused looks on their faces. The rats were also concerned, only because they had overheard some of Mrs. Brisby's comments with Arthur. Arthur, meanwhile, was trying to keep the children calm while getting Mrs. Brisby to make sense.

"Now slow down, take it easy," Arthur said to her. "Just tell me what happened."

"I'll take it from here, Arthur," Justin said.

Upon hearing his voice, Elizabeth nearly burst into tears. She could barely say his name before he took her in his arms. "Shhh, quiet down," he said. Justin settled down on the ground with her and then pulled her kids in as well. "Come on you guys, come here. It's okay." He wrapped his arm as far around them as it would go. "What's going on? Why are you guys here?"

"Oh, Justin," Elizabeth said, tears beginning to flow. "It's awful. Just awful."

"What is? Tell me," he said, trying to be soothing.

She looked up at his eyes but couldn't speak. Her children cowering and shaking next to her didn't help. Finally, only when he cracked a smile did she find the strength to speak. "It's NIMH," she said. "They've come back. They know... they know everything."

Mrs. Brisby and her children were taken to a nearby lounge area to rest. They were given blankets, and there were small logs burning in the fireplace to warm the chilly air inside the lair. Someone had dimmed the lights to lesson the shock of the children being in a strange environment.

Word of their arrival had spread quickly and many rats gathered around the entrance of the lounge to see what was going on. The crowd parted when Nicodemus arrived. Once he was there, Elizabeth explained everything that happened on the farm. Everything from the farmer's argument with Valentine, the strange men in the night, and NIMH's sudden appearance that morning.

The crowd listened silently. Justin was sitting on the floor with Elizabeth. Cynthia had curled up next to her mother and fallen asleep. Her other children sat nearby with mixed looks of bewilderment, sleepiness, and fear. Nicodemus sat in an over-stuffed chair with his palms pressed together in front of him. Behind him stood Brutus with his arms crossed over his chest. Arthur was kneeling on the ground listening as Brenda stood behind him with her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. Orion, Castor, Pollux, and many others were standing back farther in the room, giving Elizabeth space to tell her story.

She seemed exhausted after going over every detail, but Elizabeth tried to remain strong. "What's going to happen now, Justin?" She asked softly.

"I don't know," he said. "This is all very sudden."

"NIMH is far more dangerous than we had ever anticipated," Nicodemus said, drawing everyone's eyes and ears. "It is also more powerful than I had imagined. What NIMH did to that family was against human law, but evidently it has the power and authority to override those laws."

"If they can break those laws," Orion said, "then they probably would think twice about breaking the no fly zone over this valley when they find it."

"But what if they don't?" Elizabeth asked.

"We have to assume they will," Justin said. "If we don't then they will surprise us one day just as they surprised you this morning."

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head solemnly. "Thank goodness for Jeremy. If he hadn't been there, I don't know what we would have - Jeremy! I didn't even thank him! Is he still here?"

Justin stopped her from getting up, "Don't worry about him. He's still here. He said he'd stick around to make sure you're okay."

The room was silent for a moment until Elizabeth spoke up again.

"Justin, you told me before that the rats of NIMH were ready for anything. Were you ready for anything like this?"

He took her hand in his to reassure her, "I said what I meant. I won't let anything happen to this community and I especially won't let anything happen to you. We've worked too long and too hard to let NIMH stop us now. You are safe here and you will stay safe."

"We need to have a meeting," Orion said.

"Yes, a meeting," Justin said. "I want everyone there. This is important enough that everyone needs to hear. Whatever guards are on duty can listen in over the intercoms."

"We're gonna need to give people time to get there," Arthur added. "That's going to be a lot of rats moving in the halls trying to get to the same place."

"You right," Justin said. "How about eight o'clock. That's after shift change and everyone will have had dinner by then."

"That should work," Orion said. "What's your plan?"

"I don't know. That's something Nicodemus and I will have to talk about." Justin looked at the old rat who nodded gravely, then looked back at Elizabeth and squeezed her hand, "Everything's going to be okay. I promise you."

The meeting hall was filled to capacity. The giant auditorium seemed to stretch to infinity. It was a marvel to be seen and a huge technical triumph for Arthur and his crew. The seats stretched upward stadium-like in order to give every rat a clear view of the stage. The stage itself had a podium complete with a microphone and speakers to project the voice of whoever was on stage all the way to the back.

Elizabeth and her children had arrived with Arthur and Brenda shortly before the meeting was scheduled to begin. They had been saved a seat up front. Upon entering the auditorium, Elizabeth's jaw dropped. There were rats everywhere. More rats than she had ever seen. Hundreds of rats, lining all the seats from wall to wall. Old rats. Young rats. Short rats. Tall rats. Male rats. Female rats. There were families of rats everywhere, many with several children. They stretched back like a great field of wheat.

The noise level was a soft roar, with hundreds of voices talking at once. The volume dropped significantly when Elizabeth entered with her family, as most of the rats took notice. After the momentary pause in conversation, the voices came back in full force only now the tone of conversation had changed.

Arthur led them to their seats. The children were especially wide eyed at the spectacle, almost forgetting to sit down. Arthur and Brenda helped the Brisby family up to the large rat style seats then sat down on either side of the family to help them feel more comfortable. Arthur was at one end with Elizabeth and Brenda sat at the other end with Martin. Between them sat Cynthia, Timothy, and Teresa. They all looked up at the empty stage. A large clock above the stage read three minutes after eight.

"These meetings always start a few minutes late," Arthur said. "That way everyone has time to arrive, since some people always wait until the last minute. The only problem with that is that some people figured it out and would wait until even later to get to the meetings knowing that they started late. But it looks like everyone is on time today."

Elizabeth nodded, "I feel like there are a thousand eyes looking straight at me."

"Don't worry about it. You might be the center of attention for now, but once this gets rolling you'll forget about all that. Everyone will be focused on the stage. Speaking of which..." Arthur tried craning his neck to see side stage where some movement had caught his eye.

The mummer of the crowd hushed instantly as Justin walked on stage followed by Orion and Castor. Elizabeth got goose bumps looking at him. Justin walked out beaming with confidence and was the image of ultimate leadership in his crisp dark colored uniform and long black cape flowing behind him. Orion and Castor were equally regal in appearance. Orion was wearing a white shirt under his black vest along with his Captain's hat which was now black instead of blue to match Orion's color of choice. Castor was dressing in the traditional guard's uniform with a blue beret representing his rank of Night Commander.

It was the first time Elizabeth had seen Justin since that afternoon. He had spent most of his time locked up in Nicodemus's quarters with Orion and Castor cooking up a plan that would hopefully save them all. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had spent her time with Arthur and Brenda who had given the Brisby family the grand tour of Thorn Valley after they had been given a chance to eat lunch. The children had relaxed remarkably to Elizabeth's surprise. _They're handling this better than I am_, she thought as they toured the Lair with Arthur and Brenda. Elizabeth had remained worried all afternoon, but once she saw Justin walk out on stage she calmed down and forgot about all the eyes behind her.

Justin took the podium and began looking over the crowd. Orion and Castor continued walking and stepped down from the stage to take a post on either side of the stage next to other uniformed guards. Since Nicodemus knew what was going to be said, there was no need for him to be there. As Justin waited for Orion to walk the length of the stage to his position, he made eye contact with Elizabeth and threw her a quick wink before proceeding.

Justin repositioned the podium's microphone then cleared his throat before speaking. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he said, his voice booming through the stage speakers, echoing throughout the great hall, "As Most of you know by now, we have a missing rat. Last night the guard Jessica disappeared while on duty at the front gate. Many of you found this out early this morning as you where called upon to help us search for her. The search parties have been ongoing throughout the whole day, but unfortunately we have turned up nothing. The searches will continue tomorrow and the day after that until we find her. Jessica's disappearance is a mystery. If anyone knows anything that might be useful in the search, please come forward. Do not be afraid. We are all worried about her and care about her. We don't want to jump to conclusions, but if anyone knows if she purposely left her post because of personal or professional problems she was having, please tell us. No harm will come to anyone if this is true. We only want her safely back. And I'm sorry to say that Jessica's disappearance is not the only bad news I have. You have all been asked to meet tonight because a matter of grave importance has occurred. We, the rats of NIMH, are once again faced with the threat of extermination at the hands of NIMH."

A small uproar spread through the crowd, but Justin silenced them by raising his hands. "We must remain calm at all costs," he said. "We have faced many challenges in the past and this one is no different. We have escaped the hands of NIMH before - twice. Just over two weeks ago we would have been exterminated by NIMH had we not been warned. We survived that and we will survive this. Fortunately we have been warned again by the same person who warned us that night at the Rosebush: Mrs. Elizabeth Brisby, the widow of our compatriot Jonathan Brisby." Justin motioned his arm to where Elizabeth sat and watched as she blushed. Her reaction almost made Justin forget his speech.

"For two weeks," he continued, "NIMH has been investigating our former home at the Rosebush. Unfortunately we did not cover our tracks well enough because they discovered something there that was important enough to sacrifice the Fitzgibbon family this morning. NIMH has set up a base camp at the farm and we can only assume they will use any means necessary to track us down. Dr. Schultz himself is there at the farm and we know that if he has not given up after all these years, then he will never give up.

"However, unlike the Rosebush, this time we will have the element of surprise. NIMH has miles of ground to scan in order to find us. Obviously they plan on being at the farm for a while if they were going to take it by such extreme measures. But we cannot sit back for even a day. We must assume they will find us at any moment. That is why we must keep NIMH from ever finding Thorn Valley.

"Tomorrow morning, a select group of rats are going back to the farm to find out exactly what NIMH has planned. The same birds that brought Mrs. Brisby and her family here have agreed to fly seven rats back there. The rats will infiltrate and hide within where ever Dr. Schultz is held up - most likely the farmer's house - and listen in on what he has to say. From that point on, the rats will use any available means to thwart NIMH's plans to find us. Dr. Schultz must be stopped, no matter the cost.

"I have asked Captain Orion and Commander Castor to each select three volunteers from their ranks for the mission. I realize that there are many of you who would wish to volunteer in their place. Your courage is greatly appreciated, but we simply don't have the time for that right now. Orion and Castor will select from the best guards they have. The best of the best. Then those six rats and myself will leave before dawn, and head for our old home." Elizabeth's fur stood on end at his words.

"_No_," she said under her breath so quietly it might as well have been in her head.

"This is _not_ a suicide mission," Justin said firmly, as if he had heard her voice. "We will return. In the meantime, I leave Captain Orion and Chief Engineer Arthur in charge of Thorn Valley. But have no illusions. The six brave rats and I will return unscratched. There will be no lives lost on this mission. We are going to play by our rules this time. We are not going to let NIMH threaten our lives anymore. This time we are going to take the battle to NIMH to tell them we will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We're going to live on. We're going to survive. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives at Thorn Valley!" Justin pounded his fist on the podium to drive home his point.

The crowd rose to its feet and cheered Justin's speech. They shouted and clapped their hands. Their thunderous cheers where deafening in the great hall. The ground vibrated with their sound. The standing ovation was like a tidal wave of strength and courage. There were all as one, and they believed in their leader.


	6. Chapter 5: World Coming Down

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 6:**

**"Now Forever After"**

The temperature in Orion's apartment wasn't exactly warm, but it was comfortable enough for Mrs. Brisby and her children. After the crowd had dispersed, Justin had informed the family that for the time being they would stay with Orion and Sarah. Justin had two motives with the arrangement. He didn't want the Brisbys to be left to there own and felt that by staying with Orion and Sarah they would feel more comfortable being in a strange new world. Orion and Sarah were two of the friendliest people he could think of, and he trusted them both. There was not a better household for the Brisbys to stay in. Justin's second reason was for Sarah's well being. He felt that the situation provided the ideal setting for comforting her nerves. Sarah was great with children and would love spending time with the Brisby children. But Justin also thought it would be the perfect opportunity for her to bond with Elizabeth. Both women had faced hard times without a peer to help comfort them and Justin hoped that by pairing the two together that it would benefit them both.

Unfortunately when Justin and Orion arrived at the apartment with the Brisby family, Sarah was nowhere to be found. Orion guessed that she must have stopped back by the schoolrooms for something after the meeting. They hadn't told her yet so she had no reason to head right for home once the meeting was over. Justin and Orion went looking for her separately in hopes of finding her faster then planned to meet back at the apartment. Justin told the family to relax and get comfortable.

"We won't be long," Elizabeth remembered him saying just before he left. His words floating through her head like clouds. But then she thought of his words from the meeting and the clouds turned into rain. Just thinking of it made her heart sink. Justin going back to that farmhouse to who knows what by now. The men from NIMH could have dozens of traps waiting for any animal that passes by. What if the rats weren't careful and stumbled upon one? What did they plan to do at all? What could a group of rats possibly do up against any one human, let alone a dozen? The thought of what might happen to Justin in the hands of that cruel man Dr. Schultz made Elizabeth shiver.

"Mommy?" The sound of Cynthia's voice snapped reality back into Elizabeth.

"Yes dear," she said, surprised somewhat since Cynthia had hardly spoken a word most of the time they had been at Thorn Valley.

Elizabeth and her children had been sitting around the wood burning stove watching the tiny flames dance within. Cynthia was sitting closest to her when she spoke up. "Are we going to be okay?"

"Of course we are," Elizabeth said, pulling her youngest close to her and rubbing her arm. "The rats were very good friends with your father, you know that, and they'll take extra good care of us as long as we're here."

"But what about our home?" Cynthia asked desperately. The sound of her voice almost brought Elizabeth to tears. Her children were scared and confused and she wanted to comfort them any way she could.

"I don't know," Elizabeth said finally.

"We're not going back, are we?" Martin said after a beat. It was more of a statement than a question by the tone of his voice.

"It's dangerous back there now," Elizabeth said, "We'll have to wait and see what the rats say when they get back."

"If they get back," Martin said under his breath.

"They'll be back," Timothy shot back. He sat farthest from Elizabeth with his arms hugging his knees in front of him with his chin resting on top of them.

Martin threw an ugly look at his brother but was too tired to get into a fight.

"The other rats think they'll be back," Teresa said.

"It doesn't matter," Timothy said. After seeing the looks on everyone's faces he explained, "About what they say, I mean. If it is safe to go back, do you want to?"

"What are you talking about?" said Martin.

"This place," Timothy said, making a sweeping gesture with his arm, "we belong here. We're like them, the rats. We're not like other animals. Dad was one of then and now we are too. Think about it."

The thought sent silence into them all. Only the sound of the crackling wood filled the room.

"You like him, don't you?" Timothy asked. Elizabeth sat quietly until she realized the question was for her.

"What?" she said, surprised a little.

"Justin," Timothy said. "you like him."

Elizabeth wasn't sure if she understood Timothy's tone of voice, but she felt no reason to hide the truth from her children either. She realized she had never thought about telling them. "Yes, Timmy, I like him very much."

Timothy's eyes seemed to narrow, but Elizabeth couldn't tell for sure what his expression meant. Martin and Teresa sat with blank expressions on their faces as if they had been informed on the subject already, but whether they were just hearing about it or if they had figured it out long ago, Elizabeth couldn't tell.

"Do you like him like you liked Daddy?" Cynthia blurted out.

Justin stopped himself short of the door. He had been a step away from going through it when he heard Cynthia's voice and almost stumbled because of her question. Without making a sound, he got as close to the door as he could to listen in on the conversation.

Elizabeth was taken back by the bluntness of Cynthia's question and remained speechless for a minute. "I don't know," she said, "I would like to, Cynthia, I really would."

"Will he take Daddy's place?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh a little at the pure innocence of her question. "Cynthia, I think all you children know that your Daddy was very special to me. I miss him just as much as you do and I will always have a special place in my heart for him, just like you do. Your Daddy cannot be replaced by anyone. And yes, I have very special feelings for Justin as well and I hope he does too for me. No matter what happens, though, I will never forget your father and I hope that you never do either. But I think your father would want what's best for all of us as a family and if Justin wants to be there for us, just think of it as... him taking over for now. He's not going to replace your Daddy, but if he wants to be there because your Daddy can't then... well, oh, I don't know what I'm trying to say anymore." - Justin smiled at her words.- "I guess what I want to say is, your Daddy will always be with you and me in our hearts, and he will always be special to us, but there is still room in our hearts for others."

Justin saw Orion and Sarah coming towards him. Orion was about to speak when Justin signaled him to be silent. He listened a little more and once he thought the children were satisfied with Elizabeth's answer he whispered to Orion.

"Okay, go on."

"What about you?" Orion asked.

"No, no. I think I should be absent for now. Go on without me, tell them I had some things to do. I'll be in my office though." With that Justin pat Orion on the back and nodded at Sarah before jogging off into the darkness.

"What was that about?" Sarah asked.

Orion shrugged his shoulders but didn't let it puzzle him for too long. "I don't know, come on, let's introduce ourselves."

Cameron was one of the highest ranking rats on the council. Before the old ways had been abolished a few years ago, he was practically second in command after Nicodemus. That was back before they had a council of many rats deciding the fate for the rats of NIMH. Nicodemus abandoned the feudal like system because he felt too many of the high powered rats like Cameron were abusing their power. He was right. But after Nicodemus broke up the old system, most rats who once had great amounts of power simply assumed their roles in the new system of government without much complaint and accepting a roll with noticeably less power and influence. Cameron, however, could not accept his powerlessness. He had become too accustomed to it and wanted it back. That is why he had secretly aligned himself with Jenner, another rat who also lost power with the breakup of the old way.

What angered Cameron the most was that while he decreased in rank, Justin and Arthur, two other rats who he was once equal in rank to, somehow maintained their power and influence with Nicodemus. And now that Justin was the Governor of the Rats of NIMH, Orion was promoted to Captain of the Guards. And now Orion, who was a Private-Nothing back in the old system while Cameron was second in command, had greater power than he did.

Cameron was eager to meet with Jenner, but nervous as well. The two had been conspiring for a long time, but Cameron had always thought of Jenner as a usurper. He feared that if they ever did gain power that Jenner would cast him aside. Unfortunately he had little choice but to go along with Jenner anyway because if he didn't and Jenner attained power without him, he definitely wouldn't have a chance of anything then.

He was escorted to the midnight gathering by Pollux, Mason, and his wife Sasha. The meeting was not far from the lair, but it was far enough away to remain a secret. This was to be the groups first gathering since they moved to Thorn Valley, as well as the first meeting since before Jenner tried to kill Nicodemus. No one had been informed of Jenner's plan that night and while it wasn't unheard of for Jenner to do things without the group's consent or input, he had never attempted something that drastic before and that angered Cameron.

"He's got a lot of explaining to do," Cameron said to his wife as they walked. He almost always wore his silk councilman robes no matter what he did, even if such a garment was completely inappropriate for the task he was doing. But at any meeting, each member of the group wore an additional piece of clothing: a red sash over their right shoulder to signify their rightful membership to the group. The sashes were only made by Jenner who was also the only one who could give them out to a new member he deemed fit for the group.

"Jenner doesn't have to explain anything to you, Cameron," Sasha said coolly. Cameron shot her a sideways glance that she easily countered with her own look. He said nothing to her comment.

They reached the top of an incline and below at the bottom of the hill was the group, gathered around a small fire. It looked like everyone was already there. Most of the rats in the group were high ranking or semi-high ranking rats. Several were guards such as Castor, Pollux, Dietrich and Mason. Some were council rats like Cameron. Sasha was the head schoolteacher and in charge of every activity within the lair that involved students, a very important position considering she had control over those who would become the future of the Rats of NIMH. There were a few other department heads there, or high ranking assistants within any given department. Although there were no representatives from the farming community or the sanitation department. Although it wasn't an accident that they were not included either. There was even an handful of Jenner's trophy wives, women who wanted a piece of his limelight and would do anything for him. They had little purpose in the group and they were barely recognized by anyone, but Jenner insisted they be there so he could keep an eye on them. They were little more than his concubines that he had total control over. They wouldn't want to betray him because they had either been convinced by his rhetoric, or they were afraid to go against him for fear of what he might do to them. It wasn't unusual for Jenner to "loan" one of his ladies to any other member of the group for an evening, nor was it uncommon for Jenner to take more than one woman to his chambers for his pleasure. Sometimes he was in a rare mood where he would even share one of his ladies with another group member at the same time, but those occasions were few and far between.

All in all, the group numbered close to seventy, a third of which were guard members. Most of them were either sitting or kneeling in circles around the small fire. A few stood towards the back, but everyone situated themselves to where they were in plain sight.

"Well, now that we're all here, we can begin," Jenner said, not even trying to hide his irritation.

Cameron stopped on the opposite side of the fire from Jenner and found a seat. Sasha proceeded around the fire towards Jenner. The group's leader was sitting on a large round stone while everyone else had to sit on the ground. Sasha walked right up to Jenner, put her arms around his neck and they engaged in a deep, passionate kiss. Not having any care about what anyone else thought, Jenner ran his hands over her body, pausing to squeeze her behind hard enough for her to wince, but it also made her smile as well. This display was customary for any woman who belonged to the group, and Jenner was quick to brutally enforce the rule on any woman who didn't obey. As a rule, Jenner didn't trust women and this was his way of controlling them.

"You haven't changed," Sasha said slyly. Jenner simply grinned devilishly.

Cameron's eyes burned at the scene. He had become used to the sight of his wife fornicating with Jenner, but he never liked it. And unlike Jenner's other ladies who took seats farther towards the back, Sasha knelt down right next to Jenner with her hand around his waist. The sight surprised no one.

"Before we begin," Jenner said, wiping off his chin, "does anyone have any business to bring up?"

"Yes, I do," Cameron said.

"Then speak," Jenner said, nodding concession to him.

"What the hell were you thinking that night at the Rosebush?" Cameron seethed in anger. "And why in God's name did you have Sullivan helping you? He wasn't even one of us yet. You didn't tell anyone of your plan. Just what got into your head, Jenner?"

"Calm down Cameron, don't get your panties in a bunch," Jenner said. Several rats laughed at Cameron's expense. "In hindsight the plan I made was flawed, but I saw an opportunity and took it. There was no time for us to meet. I also used the chance to test Sullivan, to see if he was fit for the group. Had the Brisby woman not got involved, I would have accomplished my task."

"You seem to forget, Jenner, that had in not been for the Brisby woman, we would all be dead. NIMH was there, bright and early to exterminate us all."

"A small detail, Cameron. We would have escaped anyway. Just the sight of the trucks arriving would have alerted us. There might have been some casualties, I understand that one of the rats acting as a decoy actually did die from the fumes, but in any event, a loss in population would only have benefited us. Now, are you finished bellyaching?" Cameron remained silent. "Good, we can begin then.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our time has come. As fate would have it, NIMH has commandeered the old farmhouse. This is almost perfect timing for our efforts. Tomorrow when the expedition leaves to spy on the farmhouse, Castor will have loaded half of the crew with our own men. I have no illusions that Justin will not be successful. He is just the type of rat who can accomplish such a great task. We should be thankful that we have such a useful... tool at our disposal. Once Justin accomplishes his mission, which I'm sure he will, Castor's men will dispose of him as well as the others. Martyrs to cause." Jenner's smile stretched ear to ear.

"With Justin out of the way, we will only be left with Nicodemus and Orion as our greatest threats. And perhaps Arthur to a lesser extent. Both of which should be more than easy enough to take care of. Once they are out of the way, the lair will be ours."

"And just how do you plan on getting rid of Nicodemus and Orion?" Cameron asked.

Jenner looked at Cameron hard. His eyes glowing with the flames of the fire. "Leave that to me..."

The Brisby children were all laying together on a mattress that had been brought to Orion's apartment. They had finally gone asleep and Elizabeth was watching them from the couch in the corner of the main room. Sarah had joined her and they were talking in hushed tones.

"You're very good with them," Elizabeth said.

Sarah shrugged, "Well, it helps to be."

"Did you say you are a teacher?"

"Yes, but I mostly work with children Cynthia's age. Sometimes the bigger kids are too much to handle."

Elizabeth laughed. "I know what you mean." She heard some noise coming from the bedroom and had almost forgot Orion was there. "Do you have any children?"

"Oh, no. I don't," Sarah answered, glancing in the direction of the bedroom. "I think I would like too though. Orion would make a great daddy."

"Yes, he would," Elizabeth said with a far away sound in her voice. "I could tell the children loved him. He's naturally good with them. Not too many people are like that. You two seem to have something very special."

"Well, Orion and I just happen to be there for each other at very important moments in our lives. Actually he was more there for me than anything, but I like to think I've meant as much to him as he has to me."

Elizabeth could detect a trace of sorrow in Sarah's words. As if there was much more behind them than what she was saying, but Elizabeth wasn't one to prod. "Maybe it's just because he's the Captain of the Guards now, heaven knows they don't look like each other, but in a way Orion reminds me of Justin."

Sarah smiled. She then reached over and put her hand on top of Elizabeth's. "Elizabeth, I don't think anyone has something as special as what you and Justin have."

Elizabeth blushed. "I hope there's something. It's been a long time since someone made me feel the way he makes me feel."

"You should go see him."

"Now?"

"_Yes_."

"But it's so late."

"Believe me, Elizabeth, Justin is still wide awake. He's a real night owl. Probably even more so since you're here."

Elizabeth vaguely remembered were Justin's apartment was. That afternoon when Arthur was giving the family a tour of the Lair he pointed it out to them. Sarah refreshed her memory with a few simple directions.

"You really should go," Sarah said. "You may regret it. He could be gone for awhile." Elizabeth looked like she was deciding what to do. "But make up your own mind. I'm going to bed now, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goon night," Elizabeth said as Sarah quietly went to the bedroom. She then sat still on the couch for several minutes. Finally she stood up and made her way towards the door.

"Mom?"

Elizabeth was startled. Turning around she saw that Timothy was awake. She knelt down beside him. "Yes, what is it dear?" She whispered. "Have you been awake all this time?"

He half sat up. "Yeah, I've been thinking."

"What about?" She asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"About what you said earlier about Justin."

"Timmy, you should try to get some sleep-"

"I think I understand now why you like him. And I think we belong here, in Thorn Valley. I mean, were are like them, aren't we?"

"Yes, Timmy. You are like them. But you're young now, when you get a little older, I think you'll truly understand about Justin and I."

Timothy was paused in thought. "You should go, before it gets any later."

Elizabeth pat him on the head before silently leaving the room.

Timothy's words puzzled Elizabeth somewhat. Obviously he had been listening in on her conversation with Sarah, but she couldn't blame him. She had caught herself listening to the children talking from time to time. However, what she thought was strange was Timothy's acceptance of a life in Thorn Valley. She wondered just how much thought he had put into such a statement. Had he just come up with the idea? Or had he been thinking about it for the past few weeks after she had explained their father's connection to the rats? What did the other children think? Elizabeth knew that Timothy was the brightest of her children, but she didn't know how _much_ brighter he was. Would the others reach the same conclusion in their minds? What if some wanted to stay and the others did not? A million variations of the same questions came to her mind at once. She stopped walking and paused in thought. That's when she realized she had taken a wrong turn somewhere.

The hallways Elizabeth was in now didn't look familiar at all. She backtracked in what she thought was the right direction until she realized it wasn't the right way at all either. It all looked the same. It was nearly impossible to tell hallways apart and she soon lost her sense of direction. She found a group of apartments, but they were not the same cluster she had left moments ago. Elizabeth headed back the way she came trying to find were she had gone wrong. Panic began setting in.

Elizabeth rounded a corner and began walking down a different hallway but immediately knew it was the wrong way for it had a slope to it. All the hallways she had been in up to that point were level. She spun around and bounded back down again. Without warning she felt the earth get pulled out from under her feet and fell to the ground, landing hard on her left shoulder. The impact was painful but not damaging. A sharp bolt of pain flashed across her back as she tried to lift herself. Then she suddenly realized something had her foot. Frightened, she began to kick furiously, trying to get loose. Her struggle only seemed to tighten the grip of whatever was holding her. As she fought, she fell back on her shoulder, causing herself more pain. For a moment she forgot about her foot and rolled on her right side to get away from the pain. As she clutched her shoulder with her right hand, she looked down and saw what she was caught in. There was a loose bundle of wires that apparently had not been secured to the wall and was sticking out at just the right angle for her to slip her foot through. Elizabeth reached down and freed her foot from the tangled mess and headed back the way she came. This time she ended up in the original spot where she realized she was lost. The familiarity calmed her nerves a little but the ache in her shoulder reminded her to be more careful of where she stepped.

"Mrs. Brisby?"

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat as she nearly jumped out of her skin. Had the voice not been vaguely familiar she would have jumped through the roof. She turned around to see who it was - then nearly gasped taking a step back.

"No, no! Don't be afraid," Sullivan said, holding his arms out and waving his hands. She didn't run like he though she might. Once it looked like she settled down a little he spoke again. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes, I do," she said softly. "You were there that night my house was moved."

"Yes, yes I was," he said, stepping closer towards her.

"You killed Jenner," she said bluntly. He stopped in his tracks. The look on his face was like that of a child's who didn't know if he was in trouble or not. "Your name is Sullivan, isn't it?"

He nodded. He looked exactly the way Elizabeth remembered him. Big and stocky, with a dark shirt and thick bands around his wrists. "Mrs. Brisby I..." he began to say. It sounded as though his voice cracked a bit to her. She was trying to read his face as he looked for the words he wanted to say. Suddenly he was on his knees, holding his face in his hands. Elizabeth reflexively took a step back.

"Mrs. Brisby, forgive me," he said, holding his arms out toward her. It looked as though he had tears in his eyes.

"Forgive you for what?" Elizabeth said, slightly stunned.

Sullivan wiped he nose and sniffled, "I was there that night, with Jenner. He planned to kill Nicodemus by cutting the ropes and dropping your house right on top of him. And I was there to help him do it."

"I know this Sullivan," she said, trying to be delicate. "Justin told me about it. You were there, but you didn't go through with it."

"I know I didn't, but I almost did!" he said emotionally, his eyes showed rings of exhaustion. "I was ready to cut the line. I was going to use your family - I was willing to sacrifice them for Jenner's gain. But I stopped and defied him. That's when he cut me." Sullivan made a slashing motion across his neck. "I would have been dead that night had it not been for you. You saved my life when you used that stone that Jenner wanted so bad. You saved my life after I almost killed your family and Nicodemus."

"I don't understand..." Elizabeth said.

"Every night since then I have thanked the heavens for the second chance that you gave me. And every time I try to figure out if I deserve it. I think of how I stopped short of going through with Jenner mad scheme, but I also realize that I almost _did_ do it. I feel like there is a monster inside me and that no matter what I do to try to redeem myself and do what's right that it might come back. It kills me to think I'd be so willing to sacrifice a life for what I thought I wanted, when it wasn't what I wanted at all. I'm scared of the fact that I might not be in control of my actions and that I will throw away this life you've given me." He pounded his fist to the ground and leaned over, covering his face again.

Elizabeth was touched by his words. In a strange way, she could understand his feelings of uncertainty and confusion. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sullivan, no matter what happened, you have to remember that you did do the right thing. You saved Justin's life, and probably mine too, when you threw Justin your sword. And you saved it again when you threw your knife. Jenner may have tricked you into something you knew wasn't right, but you stopped yourself from going too far. You should think about the deeds you did and not what you might have done."

Sullivan looked at her, his cheeks stained with tears. "I know you're right, but I guess what I have to say is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for believing in Jenner and I'm sorry for what I almost did. And I could never thank you enough for giving me a second chance."

"And I should thank you for saving my life as well. But you shouldn't dwell on things that sadden you. Lord knows I've done my share of it and I can tell you it doesn't make anything better. You have to take what's good for you and be thankful of that and forget about the past because it's gone. All you can think about is what lies ahead and have the courage to face it."

Sullivan looked at her, soaking in the words. "I think you have a more courageous heart than I ever will."

Justin looked at the time and rubbed his eyes. He had been taking notes of various events and writing them all in a large volume that chronicled the history of the Rats of NIMH. It was one of the many duties he inherited from Nicodemus. But what Nicodemus didn't give him was good handwriting and a poetic style. After enough time had passed for the ink to dry, Justin closed the large volume and stretched his arms up high, letting loose a noisy yawn.

It had been a very long day after being awakened in the small hours of the morning with the news of Jessica's disappearance from her post. Then came his encounter with Cameron and Mrs. Brisby's arrival to the Valley. All of which he detailed to some extent in the journal.

The knock on the door came as a surprise to him. He had long ago made himself comfortable in his own quarters and disrobed. Quickly he looked for something to put on and answer the door with. Grabbing a shirt off the floor, he threw it on and buttoned it once towards the middle and rushed to get the door.

"Elizabeth!" Justin said, startled to find her outside his door. He poked his head out the door and looked both ways to see if anyone was with her.

"Were you expecting someone else?" She asked.

"No, it's just, I..." he stammered, then stopped himself. "Come in, please."

Elizabeth entered, holding her cape tightly around her to fight the slight chill from the tunnels. Justin quietly closed the door behind her, suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm. "I saw Sullivan a moment ago," she said.

"Really? I wonder what he was doing wondering around so late? Probably going to get something to eat," Justin's tone abruptly became serious. "He didn't do anything did he?"

Elizabeth looked confused, but then realized what he meant. "Oh, no. He was polite enough. Actually he helped me get here as I got myself lost in all these hallways."

"Huh, that's odd. Sullivan doesn't usually go out of his way for anyone unless he has to. I usually have to remind him to be polite. Funny that he did it for you."

"He did more than that. He started crying in front of me."

"What?"

"He felt guilty for everything that had happened and asked for my forgiveness."

"Sullivan cried? What did you tell him?"

"I told him not to worry about the past and just try to be a better person, but please don't let him know I told you. He seemed terribly upset."

The idea of Sullivan crying seemed like good ammunition to tease him with, but the look on Elizabeth's face convinced him to keep the secret. "What brings you here?" he asked, feeling giddy.

Just then, Elizabeth noticed Justin had a packed bag in the corner filled with various supplies like rope, tools, and probably a few changes of clothes. His sword was also leaning up against the wall nearby. "It's about tomorrow," she said, sounding slightly downhearted.

"Oh," he said softly. "Why don't we sit down?"

Justin led her over to a small couch along the wall. The furniture was meant for rats and to save her the effort of jumping he picked her up by the waist and placed her on the soft cushion, but instead of sitting next to her on the couch he knelt in front of her. Taking her hands he looked up at her and said "You're worried about us, aren't you?"

Elizabeth was lost for a moment in his eyes. They were round and full of life and only for her. She suddenly felt the same way as during their first encounter at the Rosebush. "Justin, I..." she said, looking for words. "Did you mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"You made a promise to everyone that you would return. Unharmed. Was that the truth? Or were you just saying that to make everyone feel better?"

"I would never lie to you," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"My husband lied to me," she said sullenly. "I had believed him too, and expected him back, but he never came. Justin, I can't go through that again. I lost Jonathan. My children lost their father. And today I lost my home. I don't want to lose you as well."

Elizabeth had lost her fight to hold back any tears.

Once again, Justin reached up and wiped them away. "I swear to you that I won't leave you," he said. "I'm going to be here for you and your children as soon as this is over."

"But why do you have to go?" she said. "Surely there are other rats just as capable. What about Orion or that other guard, Castor? Why do you have to be the one going?"

"They are all good men, but I have to go. I don't know how to explain it to you. But I promise to you with all my heart that I will return safe and sound. We won't do anything too risky. If we find a situation becomes too dangerous, we'll back off and find a different approach. We won't do this recklessly. We have to worry about the fate of this colony, we can't afford to take any risks."

"When do you leave?"

"Early," he said, stroking her hair once more. "You'll be asleep when we leave. We'll arrive under the cover of darkness, probably before the men from NIMH are even awake."

"My children need a father, Justin. Ever since Jonathan died, I've had to be both mother and father to them. It's been very hard to remain strong. Sometimes I simply couldn't. It would just be too much for me to handle and I would break down. They're growing up so fast and they need someone to help them understand this new world. They're more like you than me and they need guidance. Ever since we met, I've dreamt of you as a father to them and have grown too attached to the idea to let it go now. I knew somewhere in me that you would return safely, but I...I had to hear it from you to be sure."

"Do you only think of me as being a father?"

"No, I think of you as more-much more than of just a father. It's just that..."

"What?"

"I think of how I'm... _different_ from my children, and you. I think about what Nicodemus said about the way you age and I worry that I might not..."

"Elizabeth, I have a confession to make. There is more to this mission than to just keep an eye on NIMH and discover their plans."

"What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth I, uh..." he paused to clear his throat. "When we met in the Rosebush and Mr. Ages introduced us, that was not the first time we had met." Justin watched her round eyes widen. "When Jonathan and I were friends and we talked, he hardly ever brought up you or the children in front of any of us. We knew where he lived and had some idea about your family, but he never discussed it. It wasn't that he was trying to hide you or that he was ashamed. I think he was only trying to protect you in some way. What exactly that was only he knew. But every once and awhile he would let something slip out. Not much, but there was just enough to intrigue me. He never even said your name, that's why I never knew it until you told me.

"But after he died, I had felt sorry for you without ever really knowing you. I became so grief stricken that it made me sick with guilt. I began sneaking out of the Rosebush and I would watch you and your family from a distance. I never said anything because I felt it wasn't my business to intrude, even if it meant telling you the truth about your family. It was just something that made me feel better, watching your family, keeping an eye on them and making sure you were all okay. I felt I owed it to Jonathan.

"I watched all the time. At first I just sort of kept an eye on everyone, picking up little pieces of everyone's personality, but after awhile I started to focus just on you. I watched your every movement. Every gesture. Every expression on your face. I would hang on every word you said. I picked up your scent, this incredibly beautiful scent that just lifted me off the ground. It was intoxicating. I could never get enough of you and I could never wait until the next chance I had to see you.

"I fell in love with you, Elizabeth, from afar. I fell in love with you without even realizing it. I began to imagine what it would be like to live as a couple and what it would be like to take care of your children."

Elizabeth was stunned. She began examining many of the things she had done in the past year and tried to envision Justin watching her. She didn't know whether to be angry or embarrassed. "Why didn't you ever take a chance?" she asked.

"I think what I feared was that I had only fallen in love with the _idea_ of loving you, and that in fact it might not work out. I was afraid of the rejection I might bring had I said anything. I then began to question myself and wondered if I was doing the right thing. I had become so used to watching you week after week that it became part of a routine for me and I felt that I had to do something about it or else I'd be living in a fantasy world all my life. I weighed the idea of stepping forward and saying something and facing a possible rejection, or that I would step away and hopefully you would fade gracefully from my mind. I felt certain you would reject me and I didn't want to face the pain of it so I forced myself to stay away and remove myself from your life.

"When I first saw you in the Rosebush, I panicked, thinking that you had somehow seen me and knew who I was and would report what I was doing. So I jumped right in, hoping that if that was the case I could convince you not to. I didn't have to worry about Ages finding out since he already knew. Once I realized you had come there for a different reason, I let my guard down. I tried to act normal, but I couldn't help from acting affectionate towards you because I had fallen in love with you already."

"Justin, that is so beautiful..." she said, touching his cheek.

"You're not mad?" he asked.

"No, how could I be?"

"There's more," he said, touching her hand again. "I had suspected Jonathan of having personal meetings with Mr. Ages. After he died, I went to the old man and asked him about it. You see, Jonathan had been concerned with the aging process and feared that it would catch up to you too soon. So he asked Mr. Ages if he could somehow duplicate the serum that NIMH used on us. I prodded Mr. Ages to continue with the research and I even asked our doctor and chemist, Ash, to try as well, but to keep it a secret. A favor just for me. Not too long ago, Ages said he felt he was getting close and began feverishly working on it night and day to perfect it."

"That's what he was working on?" Elizabeth asked. "That day I spoke to him about Timothy he said he was working on something very important, but I didn't realize..."

"Ages felt that he was close, but I'm afraid that having NIMH so close might threaten his safety and all the work he's accomplished. One of our objectives is to ensure his safety, even if that means bringing him and all his notes here."

The thought was overwhelming. "You mean that I could be like,... that he could make me the same as you? That I would live as long and watch my children grow?"

"Yes, or at least come up with something close. We don't have access to the type of machines the scientists from NIMH have, but he feels he can come close enough to it. That is how you know I will return. Because I have the greatest incentive to come back to you. And once this is all over with, all we'll have is each other to grow old with. No more danger and no more threats. It will be just us, now and forever."

They closed the distance in a tight embrace. "I hope you return soon, Justin," Elizabeth said. Justin's body felt like a warm blanket next to hers.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said.

Abruptly, Elizabeth jerked her arm back, "Ow," she said, biting her lip.

"What is it?" Justin asked.

"Oh, I tripped over some wires on my way here and fell on my shoulder. It's nothing really."

"No, no. Let me look," he said, taking her left arm in his hands. "It's this one right?" She nodded as he slowly moved it back and forth. "Now does it hurt, or does it feel stiff?"

"It was hurting at first, but now it just feels a little stiff," she said, unable to resist him.

"Oh, well that I can fix. Or at least make better. Here, come down from there." He lifted her off the couch and lowered her to the floor. "Just sit down and let your arms hang by your side. Be relaxed." She sat down with her knees in front of her and tried to fight the urge to pick her arms up. Justin sat down close behind her, nearly touching. He lifted up her cape, placing it over her right shoulder, exposing her back, and placed his hands on her shoulders. He began to softly work his fingers on the muscles of her back. Releasing the stiffness and tension.

Elizabeth let out a deep breath and closed her eyes as Justin's hands slowly caressed her back. He was gradually increasing the pressure of his fingers, working out more than the pain and stiffness of her shoulder. He was massaging out her demons and her fears. All of her uncertainties were taken away by his firm hands. His movements were like magic, not just relieving tension on the outside, but warming her body to its very core.

His hands moved steadily from her neck down and around her shoulder blades to her spine and from there slowly down its length until he reached the small of her back. Elizabeth could feel the tips of his claws barely scratching the surface ever so slightly. She understood exactly what Justin had meant when he talked about her scent because she had become overwhelmed by the tantalizing aroma of his own pheromones. She could almost taste the scent with her tongue. Her mouth began watering as her breaths became heavier with each stroke of Justin's hands. She was living one of her dreams.

Elizabeth took a sharp breath when Justin's lips kissed the back of her neck. The point of soft touch sent waves reverberating through every inch of her body. His kisses continued down her neck to her once sore shoulder before moving to her jaw and then her cheek. And with each kiss a small tremor passed through her. Elizabeth felt her temperature rise, but it was a comfortable, inviting warmth that was filling her.

Justin's hands slipped around her waist and pulled her back towards him, holding her tight. Tilting her chin back with his hand, he leaned forward and their lips met. Her kiss was soft and moist. Slowly their kiss deepened as their lips opened up, inviting each other inside. Elizabeth lost herself in their embrace. His arms wrapped around her, caressing her from her soft belly to her curved neck. As he ran one hand through the tuft of fur on her breast, he ventured farther down her body with the other, slowly sliding it down her side and along the outside of her hip before moving it towards the inside of her thigh and slowly between.

Elizabeth moaned softly in their kiss, completely ready to give herself over to Justin forever. The world no longer mattered. All she cared about was him. The fire of his kiss. His chest against the bare skin of her back. His legs touching her hips. His arms around her body. His hands caressing the most delicate parts of her flesh. His stiffness against her back.

She had to break away from their kiss in order to catch her breath. Elizabeth leaned her head back as he once again kissed the base of her neck. She began drawing in ragged breaths to the same rhythm of Justin's hands. He brought his hand up from her chest and effortlessly untied her cape from her neck and laid it on the couch. The air felt cold against her bare neck.

In one fluid movement, Justin swung his feet back and stood, scooping her into his arms, then carried her into the bedroom. Elizabeth opened her eyes and stared into his. His eyes blazed with passion as he walked into the dimly lit room. The only actual source of light coming from the limelight of the living room.

The soft mattress enveloped her body. The fabric was cold and comforting to her skin. Justin paused to unbutton his shirt and throw it to the ground before crawling over Elizabeth's body. He stood over her on his hands and knees looking down at the faint outline of her body in the darkness, reveling in the anticipation. He wanted to savor the moment, yet he was unable to resist her. As if prodding him, Elizabeth reached up, placing her hands on his shoulders, and pulled him down to her.

Their bodies met, becoming flush with each other. That's when she truly felt it pressing against her. Hard and stiff. Their skin was pressed so tightly she could feel it throbbing. Elizabeth wrapped her legs around Justin as he began sliding his body against hers. His eyes showed the gleam of immense concentration as he calculated each and every movement. She felt his stiffened flesh gliding between them and ran her claws softly across his back. He leaned down and kissed her, their tongues quickly finding each other, as he reached underneath her body to the base of her tail and groped her soft backside, pulling it up as he pushed down with his hips.

She moaned again as they kissed, dragging her fingers up and down his back. Their bodies were equally hot and sweating. Several beads of sweat dropped from Justin's forehead as their bodies swayed. Elizabeth's body had become increasingly wet and slippery where Justin had been rubbing between her legs. The juices had soaked into both of their fur.

Finally Justin relented, slightly lifting his body from hers. Their eyes connected again, expressing words that didn't need to be said. He traced the line of her lips with his fingertips before moving his hand downwards on her body from her chin to her neck, across her chest and belly, and down to her abdomen. He then began to slowly guide himself in her.

Elizabeth gasped as he pushed the head inside her. Justin paused, letting her relax. He slid a little farther, but stopped as she bit her lip. The warmth was sensational and inviting, but he didn't want to hurt her, after all, it had been a very long time since her last. What Justin didn't expect was to find Elizabeth's hands on his rear, pushing him to keep going. He continued, holding his breath. He kept waiting for her to stop his descent at any moment, but she didn't. Instead she kept pulling him forward until he could go no further. The feeling was impossibly intense.

Justin exhaled loudly as Elizabeth made a soft purring sound below him. He let loose a growl of his own, feeling the ecstasy as her body gripped his sensitive skin like a warm hand. They kissed several times, but never for too long as they were both breathing very heavily by now.

Elizabeth hissed pleasurably as Justin began sliding his body rhythmically against hers as he was doing before, only now he was inside her. Their bodies may have been different sizes, but they moved in perfect unison. They moved as one. Never skipping a beat. Elizabeth kept thinking to herself that Justin had to be too big for her. That her body would not be able to bear his load, but somehow it did. She felt as though he filled every inch of her body and soul. Pushing from the inside out. As impossible as it should have been...somehow it worked. And what magic it was.

Justin had gripped her shoulders from behind her back and began pushing his body faster. Elizabeth's breath left her in quick bursts with each thrust. And with each thrust a bolt of electrified bliss fired through her body. Justin gripped hard on her shoulders, his claws digging in. But the pain only added to the pleasure. He arched his back and pushed himself harder and faster than before. Elizabeth arched her head back as far as it would go, her voice now sounding with each thrust and breath. She looked up momentarily to see Justin gritting his teeth just before he released a rapid chain of thrusts before ending in one final, hard push inside her.

She felt it flow inside her. Hot and tingling. Again and again it filled her for several seconds. Justin growled again, sounding ragged and animal like. Elizabeth let go of her final moans of pleasure, her chest rising and falling with her panting breath.

Once again they looked deep into each other's eyes. The only difference now was they each noticed a glow that wasn't there before. They lay there, drenched in sweat and each others juices, staring intently at one another.

"I love you," Justin whispered in a horse voice.

"And I love you," she replied. "Now and forever..."

Late at night, Justin awoke from a dream. He wondered what time it was, thinking it would probably be around three or four in the mourning. He looked around and realized he was alone.

"Elizabeth?" he said.

No answer.

_Had it all been a dream?_ he thought. One sniff of the air told him that what happened was most definitely real. The bed sheet was still slightly damp underneath him. Justin shook his head, getting out the cobwebs. He realized that she must have left to go back to her children without waking him up. The thought made him smile.

He flopped back down, trying to get a little more sleep before he had to get up for the mission. He reached over and scratched his head when he noticed something on his wrist. At first he thought it was part of a torn sheet or pillowcase of some kind. But then he took a closer look and realized what the fabric was.

A small strip of Elizabeth's cape.

_Well I'll be_... he thought, looking at the fabric. Somehow she had tied it to him in his sleep. Probably right before she left. It was a small piece, wrapped around twice then tied with a small knot. A good luck charm for his mission.

_Now and forever_, he thought before drifting off into sleep.


	7. Chapter 6: Now Forever After

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 7:**

**"The Mission"**

Justin stepped out into the morning air. It was still dark, the sky covered in black clouds. Several feet from the entrance they waited. Orion, Castor, and the six rats chosen for the mission. From Orion's squad, the captain of the guards had picked Brenda (much to Arthur's chagrin), Max, and Archer. The latter two were well experienced guards and proved themselves very resourceful in the quick move to Thorn Valley. Max was one of the largest rats in the colony, almost as big as Brutus. Castor had assigned his brother Pollux, Mason, with a fresh bandage on his hand, and Dietrich, a quiet rat who was good with electricity and wiring of any kind. Justin approved of the picks, although he was a little surprised by Castor's choices.

Each rat was dressed in black, sleeveless guard uniforms and carried a bag of supplies including everything from rope and electrical tape to bandages, food rations, and a small flashlight that was formerly a human's key-chain. Each also carried a sword to use not only for protection from any predators, but also as a crude crow bar or lever should the situation arise.

Justin watched as Jeremy and his mate slowly paced nearby, occasionally stretching their wings. The rat's mode of transportation were two Easter baskets stripped of their colorful decorations. Each basket was large enough for four rats to fit in, but small enough for the crows to carry without much effort. Justin and his men were a slightly heavier load than Mrs. Brisby and her family, but Jeremy assured him they could handle the burden.

"Captain," Justin said to Orion, "If you don't hear back from us in three days, assume the mission is lost."

"I won't have to worry about that, sir," Orion said, trying to make light of Justin's grave words.

Justin looked over the group again, "Make no mistake gentlemen, and lady," he said, nodding towards Brenda, "we are in the fight for our lives. The fate of this colony rests with us for now. Anything you've ever done before in the line of duty has simply been a training exercise. I expect you to perform better than you ever dreamed you could. And when it's all over, you will be decorated a hero upon your return."

"I think we should change your title from 'Governor' to 'General,'" Orion said.

"When I get back, Orion, I want to see Jessica standing by your side," Justin said.

"We'll find her. Good luck," Orion said, shaking Justin's hand, noticing the piece of fabric tied around his wrist.

Castor stood by silently, only nodding to the rats as they climbed into the baskets. Justin climbed aboard with Brenda, Max, and Archer. Once they secured everything, he signaled Jeremy with a thumb's up. "Good to go," he said. The second group signaled Jeremy's mate likewise. She carried the lighter of the two baskets. Both crows flapped their wings and took off, flying high into the sky, before turning around to dive on the baskets. Hooking their talons around the handles, the baskets were ripped off the ground like eagles plucking fish from a lake. The sudden force of lifting off was like the drop of a roller coaster. The rats were pushed down as far as they could go by the g-force. After a few moments of adjusting to the weight they carried, the crows made their way to the Fitzgibbon's farm.

"The sun will be up soon, we need to hurry," Justin said as they began dragging their supplies from the baskets.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Dietrich said, gripping his stomach and looking dizzy.

"Air travel too much for you little buddy?" Max said, slapping Dietrich on the back. The smaller rat stumbled forward, almost losing his balance.

Indeed, the flight had a negative effect on most of the rats. The ground whipping by at speeds far greater than they could ever travel only heightened their feelings of vertigo more. Upon landing just below Jeremy's nest, the two crows retired to their roost, utterly exhausted. From there, the rats planned to cross the railroad bridge and then infiltrate the farm while still protected by the cover of darkness.

"All right, from here on out we are on our own," Justin said, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "Brenda, I want you and Archer to stay here as back up. If you don't hear from one of us by tomorrow night, one of you need to investigate the situation. If by one more day you still don't hear from us, then go home and regroup from there." Brenda and Archer nodded silently. "For now, work on getting those baskets out of sight. This area should be fairly safe, otherwise Jeremy wouldn't have nested here, but be careful none the less."

"You be careful too, Justin," Brenda said. "There's a family waiting for a new father back at Thorn Valley. Don't do anything reckless and leave her widowed again."

"My thoughts exactly," he said, winking at her and smiling for the first time that day. "I'll do my best."

"Let's go. Lets' go. I'm bored, let's go," Pollux muttered under his breath. Only Mason, who was standing right beside him, could hear his words.

"Are we ready?" Justin asked, looking over Pollux, Mason, Dietrich, and Max.

"Hey, I was born ready," Max said glibly. "Let's go get that pain in the ass Ages out of there."

"Sounds good to me," Justin said, adjusting his bag.

They set out, crossing the grassy fields towards the bridge. After being in the dark for so long their night vision had naturally adjusted to the blackness of early morning. The early air was chilling, but it wasn't as bad as the wind chill created by the bird's flight. The rats moved quickly in a straight line. Justin led the way, followed by the big Max, then Dietrich, Mason, and Pollux bringing up the rear. Although they had been galvanized by the mission itself, they were all tired from the early morning leave. Most of them had experienced troubled sleep the night before, not out of nervousness, but from anticipation. By the time they reached the bridge, their quick paced jog had slowed to a quick walk. After wading through the early morning dew, they all shivered slightly, and started looking forward to the warming sun. Mason tried to break up the monotony with his usual crass sense of humor.

"Hey, Dietrich," he said, walking up next to the other rat. "The other day I went up to my girlfriend and said 'You know, I'd like a little pussy' and she said 'Me too, mine's as big as a house!'" Dietrich stared blankly at Mason, not getting it, or not caring about it. "Cause, you see, I wanted a little one but hers was... 'big as a house.'"

"Good god," Max said to Justin, rolling his eyes. "Are all the young ones like that?"

"What are you talking about?" Justin said. "Are you telling me your hormones never had control of your mouth before?"

"At least I was a little more clever. He'll never keep a girl with a mouth like that."

"Ah, youth. Young, dumb, and full of come." Justin and Max laughed to themselves.

"What was that?" Mason asked.

"Nothing," Justin said.

"Huh? Whatever. So anyway, what I was saying was how I wanted a quickie, but she thought I was talking about her physically..." Mason continued on, dissecting his joke to Dietrich all the way to the outskirts of the farmhouse.

"What's it look like?" Max asked. The rats had reached part of the forested perimeter of the farmhouse. They were far enough away to be out of any real danger, but they hid behind the trees anyway. Justin was observing the farmhouse through a small telescope.

"Not too good. It looks like a full blown military maneuver," he said, moving his sights to anything that didn't normally belong there. "There's the helicopter, almost right next to the house. The rosebush is completely gone. The ground's all tore up. A few trucks. Some tents. A couple trailers- well, it's _two_ trailers connected together. Looks like there could be about eight or ten men all together. Hard to say."

"So how are we going about this?" Pollux asked. Aside from Justin, Pollux was the highest ranking guard there.

"Well, it doesn't look like very many of them are up yet. There are only a couple of them walking around. Looks like guard duty or something. We should be able to circle around to Ages's without any trouble, there doesn't seem do be anyone wandering around that area. From there, we'll see what he knows and then go for the entrance under the kitchen. Maybe listen in on what they're saying. That's going to be the tricky part, though. Getting to the house. We'll have to be damn careful, but I think we can pull it off."

"Sounds good to me," Max said.

Justin turned around, handing Max the telescope. "You agree?" Justin asked Pollux.

Pollux shrugged, "Sounds fine."

"I'm open to any other suggestions if you think-"

"I said it sounds fine, Justin. I'm sure there isn't any other way of going about it."

Justin eyed Pollux, then Max. There was a flash of adventure behind his eyes that hadn't been there for a long time. "Then let's go."

As expected, the group had made it to the threshing machine without any trouble. The rats knew of a more accessible entrance that Mrs. Brisby did not. Underneath the machine, close to its midsection, there was another entrance, albeit hidden, that was large enough for rats to enter. Dietrich waited there as the others ventured inside to find Mr. Ages.

The small cave that Mr. Ages had made his home was completely dark. Justin and the others had to get out their flashlights. The small beams cast long, eerie shadows and bounced off hollow green and brown glass bottles that towered over the area. There was a back entrance to the laboratory that was made out of the lid of a rusted-out metal lunch box. The door hung open loosely on its hinge, groaning softly as the wind came in and disturbed it.

Justin and the others moved up slowly. The only other sound besides the hinge of the door and the gravel crunching beneath their feet was the sound of the rat's collective breath, breathing slowly and cautiously into early morning air. Justin signaled Mason to open the door wide. Mason lifted the door slightly and pushed it as far as it would go and held it. Justin and Pollux moved in, sweeping their lights in arcs all around the room. Books, tubes, liquids, viles, canisters of powder, ropes and strings tied all over the place, and pages and pages of notes lie strewn about, but there was no sign of Ages. Justin stepped up to the large kerosene lamp that dominated the room and began opening up a box of matches to light it.

"Put the matches down."

Justin and Pollux swung their lights to a dark corner of the room. Mr. Ages was crawling from within his hiding place. "There are windows above," he said. "They'll be able to see the glow from the house."

"Why were you hiding?" Justin asked, sounding both relieved and annoyed. "For a moment I'd though you didn't make it."

"Quit shining that damn light in my face," Ages said, shielding his eyes from the flashlights. They pointed their lights to the ground. "Do you have any idea what's been going on around here?" Mr. Ages sounded stressed, his voice cracking.

"Why do you think we're here?" Justin asked.

"For all I knew, the lot of you could have been one of those men stringing a fiber optic down here looking for _specimens_."

"What do you mean?"

"That's all they've been doing. All day long, those men from NIMH have been setting up traps all over the place, catching anything within a hundred yards of this farm and taking them in to do god knows what to them. I don't know how many they've caught, rabbits, squirrels, they even caught Dragon, and I'm not sure, but I think they may have even captured some of the Brisby's."

"No, they got away," Justin said, kneeling in front of the old mouse. "That's how we found out about all this."

"Thank god they're all right," Ages sighed. "All I know is that there have been animals going into those trailers, but nothing has been coming out."

"What are they doing?" Pollux asked.

Ages shrugged, "I don't know. 'Specimens.' All day long, I kept hearing that Schultz shouting over and over to 'collect specimens.' I've been hiding ever since. I haven't slept or eaten a thing since yesterday morning. Just hiding in that cramped closet, hoping that none of those thundering footsteps came to close."

"So they're working out of the trailers," Justin said. "That complicates things."

"What do you mean?" Ages asked.

"We were hoping to listen in on what they were doing, but if they're cooped up in those trailers I don't know how we're going to accomplish that."

"I'm not sure, but I could here men going in and out of the farmhouse most of the day. That stupid storm door can be heard for miles when it slams shut. Why would you want to listen to anything they say?"

"We need to figure out their plans," Justin said. "They're obviously on to us. We've got to figure out either how they did or what it is they plan on doing."

"What do you think you can do against them?" Ages said hopelessly, almost laughing at the thought.

"We'll do whatever we can, damn it. Who knows. Maybe this will be a dead end and they'll pack up and go home. But if they do have other plans, we have to at least discover what they are and then we'll figure out a way to combat it."

"What? Just you and these three rats? What can you possibly do Justin?"

"We have two more standing by and one waiting outside."

"Oh, well then by all means dear boy, let's lead a full scale assault on all the humans of NIMH."

"What do you want me to say, old man? We had no idea of what was going on other than what sketchy details the Brisby's gave us. All we knew is that we had to find out NIMH's plans and then we had to get you out of here. So you can either come with us and try to help, or we can leave your cranky ass here to face those men."

Mr. Ages began waving his hands in frustration, "Stop with the theatrics Justin, of course I'm coming with you, but I am not throwing all of my research away."

"We can't take this whole lab Ages-"

"I don't care about the lab, Justin. All I care about is this-" Mr. Ages pulled out a large corked vile, filled with yellowish-green liquid, and held it in both hands.

After studying it silently for several moments, Justin spoke, "Is that what I think it is?"

"If it's not, this is as close as anyone will ever get to duplicating it. But this is _all I have_. I need the Med-Lab at Thorn Valley to make more. And I need my notes. I haven't been able to test it yet, but I _think_ it will work."

"You _'think_?'"

"Justin, I haven't got the time or the equipment, let alone the test subject to use it on, but yes, I fully believe I have recreated the injections used on us by NIMH."

"Don't give me, or especially her, any false hopes, old man."

"And don't you question my abilities, boy."

"How many notes are we talking about?"

"Enough to fill one of those bags you have on your back. As well as something extra to cushion the vile. It's plastic, but it still needs to be protected."

"Max, do you have an extra bag?" Justin asked.

"Yo, right here boss," Max said, handing Justin his spare supply bag.

Justin handed Mr. Ages the bag firmly, "Get what you need and hurry up. We've gotta get moving."

Wearing green fatigues, Dr. Schultz stood on the farm house porch, watching his men scour the yards and fields looking for anything they could find. Directly in front of him was the black helicopter he had flown in, landing it almost dangerously close to the house. Off to his right sat his mobile laboratory: an extra wide, air conditioned trailer home retrofit for his scientific studies. Scattered around were the handful of Jeeps the rest of his men came in with. One Jeep was even far out into the farmland with two men probing the area. For the most part, Schultz was pleased with the operation so far. He had hoped to catch a few more animals, but with as loud and entrance he and his men made, it was expected many were scarred off. It was of no real importance anyway, the evidence they had collected so far was fascinating enough as it was.

Schultz smirked at his own accomplishment. Years and years of nothing had finally paid off with some confirmation that one of his most successful experiments still existed_. But how in the hell did they know we were coming_? He thought as he drank is coffee in the early sunlight hours. Schultz contemplated as he watched his men work. Aside from that one conundrum, Schultz was still satisfied overall. _They won't be ready next time_.

Schultz's smile turned south once he saw a company car cruising up the driveway. The black Towncar was obviously dispatched from somewhere in the military. Someone was paying Schultz an unscheduled visit. Schultz stood with his hands on hips, waiting to see who it was.

"God dammit," he muttered under his breath before turning around and going inside.

"I think he came back in," Justin said. The rats and Mr. Ages had made it under the kitchen undetected and were using the hole cut out in the floor to listen in on the conversations. So far it had been nothing but small talk and names of various men checking in.

"What is it?" Valentine asked, standing at the kitchen table.

"It's that brown-nosing prick, Stavros. He's on site," Schultz said, with obvious contempt in his voice. Stavros was the personal assistant to Schultz's boss, Colonel Sinclair, the man who had the final authority on the NIMH project. Stavros was young and by-the-book, and Schultz hated him.

"Son of a bitch," Valentine said with a gruff sigh, sharing Schultz's sentiments for the young officer.

"This sounds interesting," Justin said.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like someone Schultz doesn't like too much just arrived."

The front door opened and the infamous screen door slammed shut with a clatter. "Close the door," Schultz said before Stavros could say anything. "The air is on."

"Dr. Schultz," Stavros said.

"What is it now, Stavros? I'm a busy man."

"Dr. Schultz," Stavros repeated, "I've been sent to write a report on your progress with the project. I went to your office yesterday to find out you were gone. Why was I the last one to be informed of this Sweep and Clear?"

"Because, Stavros, you are on a need to know basis, and you didn't need to know," Schultz said, almost sarcastically.

"Dr. Schultz, regardless of the inactivity you've experienced in the past few years, this project is still a high priority. I am to be notified of all classified activity-"

"Well, now you know," Schultz said impatiently. Valentine glanced at his boss curiously but stayed silent.

"Who authorized this Sweep and Clear?" Stavros asked.

"All the information you need can be found in the folder I sent to your office, Stavros. You were probably in such a hurry to make your check up on me that you didn't see it laying on your desk."

"Well, Dr. Schultz, regardless of what you think of me, I'm here to give you news that's either good or bad depending on how you look at it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dr. Schultz-"

"_Quit fucking calling me 'Dr. Schultz_!' I know who I am and I heard you the first time."

Stavros continued unfazed, "Sinclair has made a decision about the NIMH project. Unless you have some credible and substantial proof of advancement in your research by the end of this quarter, the NIMH project will be terminated and you and your men will be reassigned."

"'_Substantial proof_?'" Schultz shouted, infuriated. "I am this _fucking_ close to relocating and recovering the Beta Test Group! You'll get all the god damn proof you need then."

"Are you positive about this information?"

"Do babies shit their pants? Yes, I'm positive! Do you want to see my evidence, Stavros? There was a colony of who knows how many rats living underneath this farm that suddenly vanished a day before we arrived. After we dug down far enough, we found enough electronics to warehouse a fucking Radio Shack outlet. Wires, motors, fans, pumps, pulleys, you name it, it was there. We ran blood tests on the farm cat and it came up showing traces of tranquilizing agents."

"What does that mean?"

"The rats drugged the damn cat, Stavros! They drugged it so it wouldn't attack them. These rats are smart. They're thinking. They knew we were coming and they went AWOL. If you need anymore evidence than that, I have their damn DNA match from the stool samples we found down there."

"You're certain these are the Beta Group rats? How can you be sure?"

"Because each test group we went through had a signature gene injected into them. Once the mixture took, they mutated and adopted the gene we planted in."

"I don't understand. Why haven't you been able to duplicate this? How is the progress on the Pi Group?"

"The Pi Group is no different than the Omega Group. There's been nothing."

"Why is that, Schultz?"

"Because they _mutated_, you Harvard prick. They mutated while we were still giving them different mixtures. We have to know what caused the initial mutation. This was only the second group. We were being cautious after the Alpha Group. Too cautious. We were experimenting with different mixtures on the fly. We don't know how the mutation started and what affected it further, but if I can get my hands on just one of those little bastards and cut him open, I can duplicate the mixture from the source."

"Is it possible that the Beta Group may have mutated to the point the Alpha Group did?" Stavros asked.

"I have no idea, why are you so concerned about the Alpha Group when I've got the Betas right under our noses?"

"Because I got curious, Schultz. I took the surveillance tapes and reviewed them. I have no idea how you let those... _things_ progress to the point that they did, but frankly they scarred the shit out of me. If these rats-"

"Stavros, if these rats turned out anything like the Alphas did, they would not have left a trace either. The dosage we used wasn't nearly as powerful, and even after a thousand generations, I doubt it could ever reach that level."

Stavros ran his hands down his face, half in frustration, and half in anxiety. "This whole project," he finally sighed, "just gives me the creeps. This genetic tampering is the stuff nightmares are made of. Personally, I don't give a damn how much Sinclair likes you or your project, and I hope this whole operation gets locked away."

"Well, Stavros," Schultz said coolly. "That's why you're in the office pushing pencils and I'm out here getting my hands dirty with rat shit."

"You can keep your rat shit," Stavros said, making an exit. "I'll be by tomorrow to pick up an updated status report to give to Sinclair."

"I'll be here," Schultz said with mock joy.

Schultz watched through the kitchen window as Stavros drove away, leaving a dust storm in his wake. Valentine stood by, now looking at his boss with suspicious eyes. "Do you think he was being serious about not seeing your report?" he asked, testing Schultz's response.

Schultz looked contemptuously at his underling. "What," he said. "Are you starting to question me too?"

"No, it's just... Stavros is so by the numbers, I'm surprised he let something like that slip by him."

"Like I said, he was probably on his way out when it landed on his desk. Who cares? Do you have the coms up yet?"

"Yeah, but all the connections down here were shit. I had to hook in upstairs. We're up and running."

"Good. Where at?"

"The master bedroom. But I still don't know why you wanted-"

"All in good time my friend. Show me where they are." With that, Schultz and Valentine moved upstairs and out of hearing range of the rats.

Justin crawled down from the peephole to join the others. The expression on his face suggested concern and confusion at the same time. What did it all mean? _Alpha Group, Beta Group, Pi, Omega_? He thought. _What are they talking about_. It seemed obvious to him that Schultz was in over his head. Somewhere, somehow, the Doctor had done something he wasn't supposed to and this man Stavros was on to him. While it was bad news for Schultz, it was great news for the rats that NIMH would be shut down, but even that didn't make any sense. _He called it the NIMH Project. It would be terminated and Schultz would be reassigned. What did that mean? Terminated? Project? Test Groups?_ The more he thought about it, the more bewildering it became.

"So, what's going on?" Max asked. "What did he say?"

"I think," Justin said after a long pause, "that this is a lot bigger than we anticipated."


	8. Chapter 7: The Mission

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 8:**

**"Disrupt, Degrade, and Devastate"**

Elizabeth awoke to the sound of her children's voices. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing Orion and Sarah's dimly lit bedroom. The couple had given up their bed to the Brisby family for the night, while waiting for a spare bedroom to be arranged. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms and legs. She had slept soundly, her body well rested. She had a mild aching from the night before, but it was the kind of aching she had longed for over the past two weeks.

After hopping down from the bed, Elizabeth found that her cape had been cleaned up. It hadn't gotten a complete wash, but it had been cleaned. There was even some minor stitches seaming up small tears. Wrapping the cape around her, Elizabeth stepped into the living room to find Orion and Sarah entertaining her children.

"Hey, look everybody. Mommy's up," Orion shouted exuberantly. Elizabeth laughed. Apparently Orion had been working up everyone's excitement to make it like Christmas morning. Cynthia ran over to hug Elizabeth.

"What have you been doing?" Elizabeth asked her daughter.

"Orion's been telling us stories," Cynthia gasped.

"Stories? All good I hope," she said.

"He told us about how they traveled to Thorn Valley," Martin said. "And how he and Justin slayed a giant snake!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

Elizabeth gave Orion a look of mock sternness.

"Hey, I only fabricated the parts that were true," Orion said, then turned to Martin. "You weren't supposed to tell her that."

"Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?" Martin said.

"Arm wrestle ya," Orion said, holding his hand out on the coffee table. "C'mon, I bet you and your brother can take me."

"You're on!" Timothy said. He and Martin grabbed Orion's hand with all four of theirs and began struggling. Orion gave out fake cries of agony.

Teresa and Sarah laughed at the action, both sitting on the couch. "Did you sleep well?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, nodding your head.

"No problems at all?" Sarah asked, with a wink and a smile.

"No, none at all," Elizabeth said, smiling too, hoping her children couldn't pick up the subtle exchange.

"Oh, no! They've almost got me," Orion said. "Hopefully I can fight back. I just hope no one else joins in." Cynthia caught the signal and ran over, adding her tiny hands to her brother's. Orion caved in under the weight to Cynthia's triumphant giggles. "Damn- I mean, drats! Foiled by the little one!"

"You said a bad word," Cynthia said, an innocent, half-stunned look on her face.

"No I didn't. You're hearing things."

"Yes you did!" Cynthia said, ready to tackle Orion.

"Okay, I did. Say, who's ready for breakfast?"

"What is it?" Martin asked.

"You'll like it. Follow me," Orion said, grabbing Cynthia and putting her on his shoulders.

Elizabeth and Sarah trailed the others as the headed towards the cafeteria. "He certainly has a way with children," Elizabeth said.

"Sometimes," Sarah said. "I don't think he ever grew up."

The cafeteria was large enough to accommodate two hundred rats at once, but it was almost empty when they arrived, as most rats either had breakfast earlier or not at all. The cooks must not of had as much as they would have liked at their disposal, but they made the most of what they had. The serving of pancakes and sausage was easily the best meal the Brisbys had eaten in a long time. All except for Cynthia almost devoured their rat sized portions.

Afterwards, Orion got the okay from Elizabeth to take the children to the schooling wing of the lair. With an indoor playground and a smaller children's library, the children would have plenty to keep themselves entertained.

"I need to be heading there myself here soon," Sarah said, after Orion had taken off with the children. "I know Arthur had given you a tour of the place, but is there anywhere I can lead you too?"

"Actually, yes," Elizabeth said, somewhat reserved. "Well, if it's not too much trouble. If you're too busy, I understand."

"Don't worry about me, you are the guest. Anything you wish."

"I was wondering, would Nicodemus be busy? I'd like to see him if that's possible."

"Of course you can see him. Nicodemus is enjoying his retirement. He's got plenty of time on his hands now. And I'm sure he would be more than willing to make time for you."

Elizabeth entered Nicodemus's chamber with less fear than she did when they first met, but she was still hesitant. She was intimidated by his majestic presence as well as his unfathomable ability to move objects without even getting up.

Nicodemus's new chamber was not nearly as ornate or gothic as his old one. It was a simple squarish room with much better lighting. Although Nicodemus had the lights dimmed due to the strain bright lights had on his eyes.

"I have been expecting you, Mrs. Brisby," Nicodemus said after she quietly closed the door.

"You have?" Elizabeth asked, taking small steps in his direction.

"Are you still afraid of us, my child?"

Elizabeth blushed at her behavior. "No, it's just that... So much has happened these past few days that..." she trailed off, not really knowing where to go with the thought.

"You have questions, don't you?" He asked. "There are things you still don't understand that you want to?"

"How -" Elizabeth cut herself off, knowing full well that Nicodemus always seemed to be one step ahead of her.

"Please, don't be afraid to ask anything you wish to know. You have a right to know about everything that is going on around you. What is it you want to know? Is it about NIMH, or your children, or, perhaps, Justin?"

Elizabeth almost blushed again, but stopped herself. "I do want to know more about NIMH. But what I really want to know about is what happened that night back at the farm. What did I do, Nicodemus? What happened to me when I used that stone? I've felt a little strange ever since. It's not very obvious to me, but I just have this strange feeling, like an old memory. Did that stone do something to me?"

Nicodemus sighed, as if he was measuring the weight of the question. "There isn't an easy answer to that. Some of what I will tell you may not make sense, not now anyway. It all goes back to when we were in the laboratories of NIMH, and the injections they gave us."

Elizabeth sat down on the floor and pulled her cape around her.

"Rats," Nicodemus continued, "are not much different than mice, or cats, or even humans. We all have the same basic form. We have brains to think with, eyes to see with, hearts to pump our blood, skin, skeletons, lungs. We are the same as any living creature, the only difference is how our bodies are molded. Within each of us, whether it is a rat or a mouse or a human, we have a code that tells our body how to grow. A genetic code. It is embedded within every cell of our body. It tells us what we are and what we can do. Our code tells us that we are to have fur on our skin, tails on our backs, and claws on our fingers. It tells us that we will not be very large, but we make up for that with our instinctive ability to forage and hide. But the most important part of our genetic code is that it tells us how smart we are going to be. We, like all other animals, use our brains to think, but we don't use all of our brain. In fact, we only use a very small portion of our brain as normal creatures. There are untapped fountains of knowledge that can be achieved by finding a way to unlock that vast area of the brain that no one knows about. No animal, not even humans, have found a way to use their brain at any greater capacity than what we are supposed to. That is, until NIMH had experimented with us.

"The injections that NIMH gave us were very potent. There were chemicals and compounds and drugs that no rat would ever have been exposed to. Most of the time, when someone encounters a toxic chemical, they are only affected on a superficial level. We may get sick, or die. We may get burned, or we may recover from a disease. Most drugs and chemicals affect the equilibrium of our bodies, but they have to real affect on who we are. This is not true of NIMH's injections. What ever it was that we were exposed to, at such high levels of intensity, caused a chemical reaction within our bodies. Those injections changed us. They infiltrated every corner of our bodies and mutated our genetic code. They changed us into something different than we were before. But unlike catching a sickness and then getting healthy, our bodies were affected permanently. We began to think differently and act differently. We can only assume that NIMH was experimenting on us in some way to make rats smarter, so they figured out what kinds of chemicals within our bodies affected our brain and enhanced them in some way. We can also assume that the experiments went much farther than they anticipated. We could learn at an exponential rate. They had altered the genetic code that had formerly restrained us from using the untapped parts of our brain. We began thinking in ways we never had before. Our minds worked so differently, in ways we couldn't even comprehend.

"Not all of us were affected equally. Many rats became very smart, like Justin and Jenner. But others of us changed even further. We had discovered realms within our own minds that we never knew existed. We had become an advanced species, far ahead of the evolutionary process. A few of us, like myself, found ways to manipulate things around us. Brutus has learned how to redirect electricity to his bidding. Some even claimed to be able to dimly see the future, not necessarily to exactly predict it, but vague emotions were there. This is a trait that your Jonathan had."

"Are you saying," Elizabeth paused, trying to comprehend the thought, "that he might have... that he knew..."

"He may have, then again he might not have. Even Jonathan had abilities that he was not even aware of. But the point is, Mrs. Brisby, that the things you have seen me do, or what Brutus could do with his poleax, these events that seem magical and unexplainable are in fact a natural phenomenon controlled by us due to the fact that our minds have skipped over countless generations of evolution. I can make that staff over there float across the room to my hand without even thinking of it, but I have know way of putting into words how I did it. The rules that govern my abilities are beyond normal comprehension.

"And just as we have unlocked these uncharted depths of our own mind, our bodies have changed as well. We can live longer than we were ever supposed to due to our advanced chemical state. We are stronger, faster, and healthier that any rat that has ever walked the face of this earth. But all of what we have become has always been inside us. Buried deep down within our genetic code. We have always had the ability to become the creatures that we are, we just didn't know how to get there. The injections did that."

"What about my children?" Elizabeth asked. "They have Jonathan's blood, but they are mine as well. I'm not different like you are."

"Your children are indeed interesting. There has never been anyone among our colony that has, if you will excuse my frankness, mated outside of our advanced species. Because you are a normal mouse, and Jonathan was not, we can only assume that his dominant genetics will make you children more like what we are. However, that does not mean you did not give your children anything. Your children are growing at a much slower rate than the children of our rats. We also are not affected greatly by diseases the way that your son was."

"From the sound of that, it doesn't sound like they inherited anything good from me."

"No, that is not true. Do not look at their shortcomings as faults or defects. They are simply normal traits of a mouse such as yourself. They are as much like you as they are like us."

Elizabeth sat silent in thought for a moment. "Then what about me, Nicodemus? What happened to me when I used that stone?"

"This is a trickier question to answer. Everything that I have told you has become available to me naturally due to my increased ability to absorb and digest knowledge. But the events of that night are not so clear to me. Mrs. Brisby, I was dead. I should not still be alive after what happened to me, but the power you unleashed brought me back to life."

"How?"

"When someone dies, in most cases, they are not immediately dead. The functions of the body don't just stop. They have to take time to slow down. Think of it as if you upset a glass of water. At first the water moves chaotically back and forth, but eventually it slowly settles down over a brief period of time before becoming still. A body is similar, only it takes longer to become perfectly still because it is much more complex than a glass of water. However, there is only a small window of opportunity. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. Luckily for myself, Sulivan, and your children, our window had not yet closed."

"But neither had Jenner's."

"Do not think of that now. It is not your fault. The stone itself is controlled by sheer emotions, Mrs. Brisby. I had created the stone as a reservoir of my power, as well as all of the other rats who shared my extraordinary abilities, including Jonathan's. They only needed to be unlocked by someone who had the strongest faith and conviction. Someone who had courage and strength. Because of the great love you have for your children, and your desire for them to live safely, the energy you directed without even thinking through the stone was so strong that it not only moved your home and saved your children, but you also saved us as well. And that is why you were so weakened afterwards. Using the power of the stone means spending your own energy to do it. Because you are young and healthy, and full of life you were able to survive. However, such a great feat might have drained all of my energy and I would probably not live through it.

"And to answer your question on why you feel different, when you send your life energy through the stone, you are also getting the energy of the stone redirected back into you. Everything that made up the stone, everything it was given by us, has been absorbed by your body. You might think of it as a scar, only it affected you on the inside. But don't think of it in a bad way, just think of it in the same sense of the permanence of a scar. We who created the stone had put our own life force into it, so to speak. And now what we did for the stone has become part of you."

"This is crazy," she said.

"It may not make sense, Mrs. Brisby, there really isn't any other way to explain it to you in words. Much of our power is driven by pure emotions and feelings. You may not understand it in your head, but you can _feel_ it. You know it's there, you just don't know how to put it in words." Nicodemus paused, "You can feel it, can't you?"

Elizabeth sat motionless for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

Orion strolled down the hallway with a lazy swagger and a smile on his face. It was a joke around the colony that Orion had picked the wrong profession as he often seemed like he would make a better teacher than a guard. It was obvious to everyone that there were few rats who worked better with children of any age than Orion. After escorting the Brisby children to the day care/school area, he couldn't help but smile at all the attention they gave him. Martin even made an off-color comment about how he thought Orion might be tougher than Justin. Orion introduced the Brisby children to a group of rat children who were similar ages. All the rat children knew who the Brisby's mother and father were, and what their heroics meant to the colony, and at first seemed to great them with a living-legend-like awe, but soon realized that they were mere mortals as they were and greeted them with open arms.

When Orion passed his living quarters, which was not that far from the rear entrance out to the Valley, he noticed sounds coming from inside and that the door was slightly open. Pushing the door aside, he saw Sarah was home, working on something back in the bedroom. Instantly excited, he closed the door behind him and bounced back to see her.

"Hey," he said, making a smooth entrance. "What are you doing here?" Sarah would usually be somewhere in the schooling area or nursery.

"Nothing, just getting some things together," she said absently, flipping through papers of notes piled on her desk. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was just on my way out to catch some fresh air," Orion said, ignoring the bland tone in her voice. "But then I walked by this door and smelled the most wonderfully sweet smell that has ever crossed my nose, so I decided to investigate. Then low and behold, I discovered you sitting here, looking very professional with your work, but also looking more beautiful than any of God's creations." Orion placed his hands on her shoulders and began massaging gently.

Sarah paused for a moment, then continued sifting through her notes. "Are you in a hurry?" Orion asked hopefully.

"No, not really, but..." Sarah said, trailing off.

"No?" Orion said, running his hands down her back, then under her arms around to her breasts. He leaned down to kiss her neck and shoulders while trying to but her in the mood. She loved it when he kissed her neck.

"Orion," she said hesitantly, trying to fight off the sensations he was stirring in her.

"What," Orion said, pulling their bodies close and rubbed her cheek with his. "Not feeling well? Got a headache?"

"No," she said, putting her hand of his, but in more of a restraining way than caressing.

"Then what's the problem? Neither of us are busy at the moment." Orion continued kissing her neck, feeling her body stiffen a little.

"It's not that, it's just..." she said, her voice trailing off again.

Realizing his efforts were in vein, Orion let his arms drop to his sides. He stood motionless for a moment with his head still resting next to hers, his eyes closed, before giving up and stepping away from her. "What is it," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "What did I do wrong."

"It's not you, Orion," she said. Then a moment latter sniffed her nose.

"What was that?" Orion said, snapping to attention.

"Nothing, I-" Sarah started to speak but Orion put his hand under her chin and pulled her face in his direction.

Orion sighed deeply again and turned away. "Why are you crying?" He demanded.

Sarah sniffed again and wiped a tear from her face. "I don't know. I just started having this feeling. There was no one around and I just started feeling bad again..."

"God _dammit_," Orion said, throwing his hands in the air. He ran his fingers slowly through his hair then over his face. "It's been nearly a week since the last time. I was hoping that was the end of it." His words came out slowly. Sarah's mood swings had calmed down a lot since their move to Thorn Valley, especially after she and Orion began living together. While several rats knew about their affair, Orion and Sarah had kept the appearance of their relationship a secret for the most part. Since the night of the house moving, Jenner had become thoroughly out of the picture, they dropped the charade and began living as a couple.

"I don't know what I can do Sarah," he said. "I don't know how many more ways I can say I love you."

"I know that you do," she said.

"Then _why_ are you crying?" he shouted. "You've been doing so well. Even with all this talk of NIMH the past few days, I though spending time with the Brisby's was doing good for you." Orion began pacing slightly, hands on hips.

"Orion stop. Please," Sarah pleaded, her voice cracking.

"Stop what, God dammit!" Orion said, throwing his arms out. "Stop loving you? Stop trying to make you happy? Stop treating you like the greatest thing that's ever happened to me? What? Tell me if I'm getting close."

"Stop doing this, Orion. You know I can't help it."

"Yes you can, Sarah," he snapped. "You have control over the whole fucking thing! I'm doing everything I can, but you are the one that has to let go of it. The past is the past. It's over. It's done. I am here _now_. Sooner or latter _you_ have to realize that."

"I know you're here, Orion. I do love you," Sarah said.

"Then what's the problem? You were acting so happy this morning. Since we had this little time alone, all I wanted to do was to make love to you. To make you happy. I'm crazy about you Sarah, I always have been. But this swinging back and forth is just making me plain crazy. And I can't put up with it forever."

Orion stormed off, throwing the dividing curtain aside and heading towards the door. "Orion, wait," Sarah said, getting up to follow him.

"Forget it," he said, slamming the door so hard it popped back open. Sarah stood speechless for a moment, before falling to her knees and burying her head in her hands. The tears flowed like rain as she tried to come to grips with the emotional whirlwind in her head.

Orion stomped down the hallway towards the rear entrance to the Lair. His hands were balled into fists and his mind was a furious thunderstorm of frustration. He had been used to Sarah's erratic mood swings, but he never enjoyed them. Sometimes he would be in the greatest of moods just to get dragged down by Sarah's depression. Since the move she had been much better. Not seeing her emotions off balance for a while had made it even harder to deal with once they came back. In the past he had always held her to make her feel better. Sometimes she was only slightly melancholy while other times she would cry herself to sleep only to have nightmares. But every time, Orion would be there to hold her and comfort her. After two years, it had started to wear down on him.

As he stormed down the hallway he took a mental note of a burned out bulb that cast the hall into dark shadows. _A freaking burned out bulb_, he thought. The tiny inconvenience only added to his disappointment. Orion had become so consumed by his thoughts that he didn't even notice Jenner hiding in the shadows.

Jenner watched silently as Orion continued on, muttering to himself, until he was sure the new Captain of the Guard had ventured outside. Jenner silently came out from the small crevice in the wall and stealthily made his way down the direction Orion had come from. From his hiding place Jenner had heard Orion's yells, although they had been muffled by the door. Jenner had only planned to make a quick appearance in Nicodemus's chambers and to slay the old rat, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to pay a visit to the woman who was technically still his wife.

Jenner slid up to the doorway and peered in through the crack. He could hear Sarah crying from within, but didn't see her. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, locking it.

"Orion?" Sarah said from the bedroom.

Jenner quickly ran to the side of the dividing curtain, flattening himself along the wall.

"Orion," Sarah said again, walking slowly through the curtain. Jenner rushed her, grabbing her by the waist and dragging her into the bedroom. Sarah was too surprised to let out a sound, the force from Jenner's grip knocking the wind out of her. Jenner threw her down on the bed and pounced on top of her, pinning her arms. Sarah's eyes widened in terror, but Jenner clamped his hand over her mouth before she could speak.

"If you even try to scream, I'll kill you," he whispered. "I will break your neck like a twig and no one will know about it. No one will hear you, and no one will come to rescue you. Not even your precious Orion." Jenner grinned widely, revealing his teeth. He could feel Sarah's body tremble beneath him. Her eyes didn't even blink as he glared down at her. "What's the matter Sarah?" he asked sadistically. "Aren't you happy to see your husband alive?" He removed his hand from her mouth and began stroking her hair. Sarah could barely flinch, but was too afraid to anyway. Her jaw quivered and her breath came in quick gasps. Her wide eyes began watering and a tear rolled down her cheek. Jenner casually wiped the tear with his finger.

"I can only assume that these are tears of joy from seeing me," he said, flashing his teeth again and rubbing her cheek with his hand. "No? Oh, Sarah. Where did we go wrong, hmm? We made such a good pair, you and I. Well, we did until you started slutting yourself to that ingrate Orion like the cheap whore that you are. What do you think he even sees in you? You are nothing but a crying, whimpering, emotional wreck. Just a bag of damaged goods. A ruined flower with only a few petals left. I'll bet the only thing he sees you as is an easy lay. I should know." Jenner lifted Sarah farther up the bed, pulling her arms above her head and pinning them both with just one vice like grip, allowing their bodies to be even closer. He began nuzzling her chin and neck, licking her skin gently. She could only shiver in fright, her body powerless under his grip. "You know, I bet he hates it too," Jenner continued. "Making love to you, that is. I'll bet it just eats away at him that every time he goes inside you, he can't help but imagine how I was there first. How I broke you in. Knowing that he can never please you the way I did probably makes him so angry that he can't even think of you as he's fucking you. The only way he can be happy is to think of you as a cheap, dirty whore piece of meat. That way he doesn't have to pretend to meet any expectations that he knows he can't ever hope to achieve. How does that make you feel? That the one man you think loves you has to envision you as a worthless slut to enjoy himself." Jenner continued his kisses down her neck, pushing his body on top of hers.

"W-wh-what is it you want?" Sarah gasped, barely finding the strength to whisper.

"I want you to shut up," he said. Jenner flipped her body over on her stomach and tore off his belt. He twisted her arms behind her back and binded them with it. Then grabbing a shirt he saw on the ground, he tied the sleeve tightly around her muzzle. Jenner got up and searched the room for something else to tie her up with. Finding a spare belt of Orion's, he bent her legs up behind her and hog tied them up to her hands, but not before striking her rear with the leather. Jenner hovered over her shackled frame and whispered in her ear from behind, "I've got to go pay my respects to Nicodemus right now, but when I'm done, I'll be sure and stop back to give you what Orion never could." Jenner started to get up but dropped back down on her, whispering even closer, "Wait here. I'll be back."

Jenner crawled of Sarah's confined body and vanished, leaving her completely helpless.

Orion stepped out into the daylight, shielding his eyes from the sun. The cool breeze started whipping through his fur. He wound up and kicked a small, round stone as hard as he could. The rock went flying, but he immediately regretted it as sharp pains shot up from his toes. "_Son of a bitch_," he muttered, biting his lip and bending over to rub his foot. "Is there anything else that can go wrong?"

Orion gazed around. A couple rats had just gone in the main entrance. Other than that, there were no other rats outside, but that wasn't completely unusual for the time of day. Most of the farmers were busy with carpentry work at the moment. He looked over to the firing range and saw that whoever had been there last had left it a mess. "God dammit," Orion seethed, as he picked himself up and walked over to it.

He needed something to take his mind off Sarah. His blood had been simmering at the first sign of her displeasure and was boiling by the time he left the room. _What in the hell do I have to do?_ He asked himself. Orion walked up to a dowel rod someone had left standing for sword practice. Unsheathing his sword, Orion made short work of the wooden pole. He drove his blade straight into the ground and tumbled down himself, breathing heavily. Orion lay on his back and threw his arms out to his sides, staring up at the clouds. _It's gonna rain soon_, he thought, noting the dark clouds. _Just my freaking luck_.

Orion brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. He threw his arms out again, growling in frustration. His thoughts rolled around his mind like an ocean during a storm. He never thought Sarah would push him to the breaking point, but something finally snapped inside him. They had argued about things before, but the arguments always had substance to them. He had never flat out yelled at her the way he just had. She had been doing _so_ well. Her school duties had kept her busy during the day. They spent the quiet evenings together, alone. Just talking. One night he just held her in bed and they had just talked and talked the whole night, literally. The alarm clock had started buzzing and neither of them had slept a wink. They weren't even tired. They had talked the entire night away without even realizing it. Then just the other night he had put her in great spirits while wrestling and tickling her to bed where they made the best love they had since arriving at Thorn Valley. _Hell, it was the best so far this year_. She didn't even skip a beat when Mrs. Brisby brought the terrible news of NIMH. She just took everything in stride and welcomed the chance to help the Brisbys settle in. She especially loved being with the children.

Everything was almost perfect. She didn't show any negative signs at all. What caused the sudden shift? Orion began evaluating the past. Why did he put up with it? It wasn't the first time she had appeared fine for a while before relapsing. What could he possibly do? He tried everything he knew to make her happy. The relationship had been draining him for some time. It was a lot of work handling her emotional baggage while trying to appear as if he was in complete command of the situation in order to try and give her strength. Why did he stay with her? Why did he face it over and over? Why did he try at all?

_ Because you love her._

The winds shifted and the clouds above began twisting into an ugly shape. Orion sat up and rubbed his face again, groaning in resentment. He held his arms loosely over his knees, going over everything in his head. The arguments, the nights of crying, the tedious emotion swings, the constant walking on eggshells... It was a lot for anyone to try to handle.

_But she's worth it_, he thought. _She's always worth it_. Orion had a lot to manage within their relationship, but he cherished every moment they were together. Her beauty always soothed his overworked nerves. He forgot all the frustrations of the past every time he held her body against his. Every time he smelled her sent, it washed away all the anger he had towards Jenner for driving her to the state of mind she was in. It wasn't her fault at all, he realized. Jenner had abused her and crushed her will. That kind of damage required delicate and gradual repair, but he _knew_ he was having an effect. She was much better now than a year ago. The biggest cause for her emotional imbalance was due to living under Jenner's shadow the entire time back at the rosebush. Now they were in Thorn Valley, and Jenner was gone. Orion realized things would obviously get better over time, especially now that they were in a new home. _Shit, what have I done?_

Orion stood, grabbed his sword and sheathed it. He stretched his arms and popped his back. He took another look at the darkening clouds and headed back in to try to repair what ever he might have damaged.

Orion slowly closed the door behind him. He could hear that Sarah was still crying in the bedroom. "Sarah, honey," he said softly. "Listen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you." He walked up to the dividing curtain, but stayed on his side, giving her space. "For what it's worth, I didn't mean what I said. It's just that... I have so much on my mind now. I'm trying to keep this place in order. I've got every rat and their mother coming to me looking for advice. I've got plumbing that only works half the time and no heat. I get so frustrated sometimes that I try to simplify everything, and I shouldn't. I just want you to be happy so much that when you're not happy it hurts me. I hate seeing you that way, and I just wish... I just wish I could make it go away. I wish I could just take you and me to someplace without anything to worry about." Orion paused, listening to her shift around. "Look, I know that a lot of this may not mean much but I-" Orion pushed the curtain aside slightly, just enough to see Sarah's hands tied up. "What the hell?" he rushed to her side and ripped the leather from her hands. His heart raced as he released her muzzle. "Who did this?"

"Jenner!" Sarah gasped as he freed her mouth.

"What!"

"It's Jenner, he going to kill Nicodemus!"

"Jenner? What?"

"Go! He's going after Nicodemus! Go now!"

Orion charged out into the hall, hurtling to Nicodemus's quarters. Around the corner he spotted Jenner closing in on Nicodemus's room. "Hey!" Orion shouted.

Jenner turned in time to see Orion tackle him down. Their bodies twisted around, each trying to get the upper hand. Jenner kicked out both his legs, sending Orion into the wall. Without stopping, Orion had his sword out and charged Jenner. Jenner blocked the strike with his own blade. They pounded down at each other. Blow by blow, their swords clashed. Finally their hilts locked and they closed in on each other, each rat trying to push the other down. Once he was close enough, Orion hit Jenner with a left hook, following through with a roundhouse kick sending Jenner into the wall.

Elizabeth gasped in horror, having just emerged from Nicodemus's chamber to see Jenner crash against the wall just a few inches from her. Before she could react, Jenner grabbed her wrist and flipped her body in front of his, holding the blade to her neck. Orion closed in but kept his distance.

"Stand back, Orion," Jenner snarled. "You try anything and your next bath will be in her blood."

"Jenner!" Elizabeth shrieked.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Brisby. Were you expecting someone else?" Jenner said.

"Leave her out of this Jenner. She's got nothing to do with it!" Orion shouted.

"Oh, but she does," Jenner said. "She does, Orion. She has _everything_ to do with this."

"Let her go Jenner. Take on someone your own size."

"No, I don't think so," Jenner said, slowly backing away with Elizabeth in his grasp.

Elizabeth stood helplessly in Jenner's grip, terrified, looking to Orion for help, but knowing he couldn't.

"You've ruined my plans, Orion," Jenner said coldly.

"And you should have stayed dead," Orion said.

"Fair enough. We're even-" Jenner ducked down, avoiding Brutus's flying poleax. The blade crashed into the wall, sending a shower of electrical sparks everywhere. Jenner kept his grip of Elizabeth and faced his new challenger. Brutus was standing a few feet away, holding a crossbow ready.

"Brutus, no!" Orion shouted.

"That's right Brutus, listen to your captain," Jenner said, pulling Elizabeth with him. She tried to stop, but he only dragged her feet along. He was much too powerful for her to escape.

"Let her go, Jenner. We can work this out. What do you want? Sarah? Me? Nicodemus? The stone? What? Let her go and we can figure this out," Orion said desperately. Brutus had slowly circled towards Orion, never letting his aim down.

"Just try it Brutus," Jenner said. "The second you fire I'll lift her up to block the arrow and still get away."

"Put it down Brutus," Orion said. Brutus complied slowly. "Don't do this Jenner. Take me instead, just let her go." Orion threw his sword down and held his arms out harmlessly.

Jenner smiled. "As much as I'd enjoy the opportunity of slowly killing you, I'm afraid I'll have to take a raincheck. Right now, Mrs. Brisby and I are going to leave and catch up on old times. I'm sure she got lots to tell. Don't you, Mrs. Brisby." Jenner tightened his grip. Elizabeth was still to scared to say anything. All she could do was fight his grip and try to keep her neck away from his blade.

"God dammit, you can't do this," Orion cried.

"I _am_ doing this," Jenner said, before quickly backing out with Elizabeth as his hostage. "If you even try to follow me, she's dead." Jenner tightened the blade to Elizabeth's neck as she gasped. Orion could only stand by and grit his teeth, completely helpless.

Orion cried out in frustration as Jenner disappeared from view. He quickly retrieved his sword and then hit the alarm button next to the nearest intercom box. Emergency lights began flashing, which were actually hundreds of yards of Christmas tree lights set on the fastest chase speed, and an alarm sounded. Orion switched the intercom to the emergency, all access frequency to reach the entire Lair. "Attention all guards, Jenner is on the premises and has a hostage, report immediately. Lock down the lair. Repeat, lock down the Lair now! Seal the entrance and all exposed skylights. Attention all rats of Thorn Valley, report immediately to the nearest department head or supervisor, I want all rats accounted for." Orion released the voice box and walked back towards the exposed rear entrance. A group of guards, both on duty and off, were on their way by when they noticed Orion.

"Captain, what's going on?" One of them asked. Other rats from nearby began filtering about in the hallway.

"Jenner was just in here. He's taken Mrs. Brisby hostage and done who knows what else. I want you men to block off this entrance. Find something to baracade it and defend it with what ever you've got. I'll send reinforcements soon." Orion quickly tried to subdue the situation before it plunged into chaos. Several rats began questioning Orion.

"What's going on?" said one, emerging from a workshop.

"Jenner's here?" said another.

"What's this about a hostage?"

Orion raised his arms to try to settle the crowd. "Please, everyone. Just report in for now. We need to get a head count to make sure everyone is safe. I will fill you in on the details later." Orion walked over to Brutus's poleax embedded in the wall and yanked it out. "I want you to stay here, big guy," he said, handing Brutus his weapon. "Keep that exit secure." Brutus nodded silently and headed towards the Lair's one vulnerable spot as Orion raced off to the main entrance.

He encountered many questioning stares along the way, but ignored all those who tried to stop them. They had never done a practice drill for shutting down the Lair, but everyone knew what to do. It would just take them a minute or two to remember. Rounding a corner, Orion ran right into Arthur.

"Whoa, just the man I wanted to see," Orion said.

"Orion, what the hell's going on?" Arthur asked.

"Jenner was just in here. He made a move for Nicodemus."

"My god, he didn't- did he?"

"No, Nicodemus is okay, but the bad news is Mrs. Brisby got caught up in the struggle and he took her hostage."

"He what? Mrs. Brisby? Where are they now?"

"He left, out the back entrance. I don't know how he got in or what else he's done. I want you to move everyone into the larger rooms. The cafeteria, the library, all back in there until we get everyone accounted for. Do you know if there's anyone still outside."

"No, not that I know of. We didn't have any outside work scheduled for today."

"Who knows what he may have been up to in here. I've got some men sealing off that entrance, but it may take some time."

"That's going to be tricky. By closing the entrances off, we won't get much air through here, especially since the fans aren't up to speed."

"Shit. Well, we'll just have to come up with something for now. I don't know. Just start getting everyone together and we'll go from there." Orion patted Arthur on the shoulder and headed off again to round up his guards. He moved from post to post, directing his men on what to do and were to go. He also caught many off duty guards and put them to work. After what seemed like forever, Orion reached the main gate to find it wide open.

"What the hell are you doing? I said seal the gate!" Orion shouted to the perplexed guard.

"But sir, Castor and his men are out there," the guard said.

"Castor's what?"

"Lieutenant Castor and a bunch of others, sir. They left just a few minutes ago. He said to leave the entrance open."

"How many went out?"

"There was a lot. Around fifty or so."

"And you didn't think that was weird?"

"I thought it was odd, but-"

"Who else was with him?"

"Some guards, Marcus I believe, but Cameron was with him also. A couple other council members. Sasha too. I didn't have time to see them all the way they were rushing outside. I thought you ordered them." The young guard trailed off, realizing he was in some kind of trouble.

Orion seethed inside, but tried to remain calm without losing it. "Fifty or so rats? You're not sure though? Could there have been more?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

"Well, we'll know soon enough. seal this gate."

"But, sir. Castor-"

"Lieutenant Castor is a traitor, along with all those other rats. They've gone out there to meet with Jenner. Now seal this gate!"

Castor had realized what was going on and quickly assembled as many followers as he could to get out before Orion could stop them. Luckily most had been nearby as the alarm went off. Those that weren't close by had enough sense to figure out the same thing Castor did and were quick to meet up with the group. The rat on guard at the entrance was easy enough to dupe, but Castor knew they would be figured out soon enough and eventually cut off from their home.

Jenner had planted himself nearby, not even bothering to get as far from the Lair as he had for their secret meeting. He was pleased to see the majority of his true followers made it out.

"This is a fine mess you've started!" Cameron shouted as he neared Jenner. "Just what the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you go over any of this with us?"

"The reason I didn't go over it with you is because I didn't want any of you to suddenly develop a conscience," Jenner said coolly. "I knew I couldn't go over anything too drastic, so I left it up to you to figure out what was going on. Why, Cameron, did you not appreciate my handiwork?"

"I certainly did not! What is it you were trying to accomplish with this? Now we're stuck out here. Couldn't you find a more subtle approach?"

"Our time is short here, Cameron. We have to act quick while there is still some uncertainty in everyone's mind. If we waited, we wouldn't catch them off guard. Eventually a siege would have been inevitable anyway."

"A _siege_? You plan on the lot of us to attempt a siege on the entire colony? Are you crazy?"

"Do you ever stop complaining?" Castor asked irritated.

"I don't see how you can take this so lightly-"

"Cameron," interrupted his own wife, Sasha, "It's all under control."

Cameron looked flustered, but once he saw the immobile faces on the three rats in front of him, he knew his argument was useless. "Then what's she for?" he asked, motioning to Elizabeth, who's hands were tied to a rope Jenner was holding.

"Think of her as a bargaining chip," Jenner said. "If things get too rough, we'll through her on the table and see what happens." Elizabeth's eyes widened, but she remained silent, fearing for her safety.

"So what's the plan?" Castor asked.

"Yes," Cameron added. "Just how do you plan on handling this siege?"

"Gentlemen, while the rats cooped up inside the Lair may appear to have the advantage, they do not." Jenner said. "They are now nothing but caged animals. They have food and water, but the supply is limited. So is their supply in which they can defend themselves. Right now, I'm sure Nicodemus and Arthur are sorely regretting their decision to store the construction explosives and spare crossbows outside the Lair in a secure bunker."

Castor and Sasha smirked at the thought. Several other rats grunted in approval of their sudden apparent advantage, nodding in approval. "Also right now," Jenner continued. "Orion and his men are running their tails off trying to secure the Lair and make sure everyone is safe and sound. They'll also spend the day fortifying their position to defend themselves. While they are keeping themselves busy and wearing out their muscles and minds with stress, we are going to sit out hear, relax, and attack when they least expect it. They may have time to dig in, but they will be too tired to fight once we attack. No doubt they will try to gather everyone in the same location, so once we punch through, it will be easy to find Nicodemus."

"Then what?" Cameron asked.

"By then we will have slaughtered most of Orion's guards. Once we destroy Nicodemus and I have that stone in my grasp, nothing will stop us."

"You just had your chance at Nicodemus." Cameron said.

"A mistake that I will correct. But that doesn't matter. I've set the ball in motion. Right now we wait. Meanwhile they will drive themselves crazy with worry. They will be exhausted when we attack and we will take them by force. And then, the Lair will be ours."

Jenner had support from everyone by then, as evident by the cheers and greedy smiles that were going around the group. As they all clapped their hands and patted their new leader on the back, Elizabeth could only huddle silently in fear of what part she would play in Jenner's scheme, and prayed for Justin to Hurry back.


	9. Chapter 8: Disrupt Degrade and Devastate

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 9**

**"Belly of the Beast"**

Ash was the rat's head doctor. He oversaw every case that required medical attention within the lair. Usually he just patched up and scars or scrapes, or the rare broken bone. He saw children more than anyone, but knew the medical history, or lack there of, to every single rat in the colony by heart. Ash was a tall, pale gray rat who was seen as a bit eccentric, but overall a good guy. He had an apprentice named Alexander whom he was teaching his trade. Alexander was slightly younger, but nearly as knowledgeable as his teacher.

At that moment, Ash was alone in the examining room with Sarah, taking a look at her after her encounter with Jenner as she sat on an observation table.

"Well, for the most part everything seems fine," he said as he examined Sarah's wrists by slowly moving all the joints and checking for any sign of pain. "It doesn't look like anything's broken. I think all you're looking at is a couple bruises."

Sarah simply hummed in agreement while staring off into space. Ash stopped moving her wrists and placed his hands around hers. "Sarah," he said earnestly. "Now please tell me the truth. I'm a doctor, I can help. Did Jenner... _do_ anything else to you? Something you haven't told me or Orion?"

Sarah blinked. "No," she said simply, her hands starting to shake slightly at the thought.

"All right, I believe you," Ash said after staring at her for a moment. "But if you need anything, anything at all, please feel free to ask for it. I only want to help."

"No, Ash... I'm okay. Really."

"If you say so. I have a few others to look at, but remember what I said." Ash patted her hands gently. The sound of thunder rumbled through the ground. "Boy, that was a big one. Sounds like it's going to rain pretty hard." Ash looked at Sarah once more before leaving the room, letting Orion in for the first time.

Orion rushed over too her, taking her hands in his. "What did he say? Are you okay? Is everything all right?" he said in a near panic.

"I'm fine, Orion," she said softly. "I'll be okay, it's just a small bruise."

"Oh, god, baby. I am so sorry for what I did," he said, reaching over to hug her. "I never should of said those things to you. I didn't mean any of it. You know that, don't you?"

"I know," she said, settling her shaking hands in their embrace.

"I never should have left you. I shouldn't have left you alone. If I could of been there sooner I would have stopped him from doing anything. I coulda stopped him..."

"You didn't know, Orion. None of us knew. It's not your fault." They stood there for a moment in silence, just holding each other. "I guess we now know what became of poor Jessica," she said.

"Yes. Now we know. If it wasn't him, at least, it was definitely one of his men."

"What happens now? What's he going to do with Mrs. Brisby?"

"I don't know. But if he harms a hair on her head, I'll cut him in two. We haven't heard a thing from them yet-"

Just as he spoke, all the lights went black, then a moment latter came back to life, only noticeably dimmer. "Shit!" Orion said, looking at the lights.

"What was that?"

"He cut the power. He cut the power lines to the solar paneling. We're running on batteries now."

"How long do they last?"

"Not long enough."

Arthur stumbled into the room, out of breath.

"He cut the power Arthur," Orion said.

"That's not the worst of it," Arthur said, panting. "He's killed the exhaust fans."

"What? Just now?"

"No, a few minutes ago. I've been looking for you. He set off an explosion of some kind. Took out the fans and buried them in rubble."

"An explosion? I didn't hear anything."

"Yes you did. But you probably thought it was just a clap of thunder."

"Yes, I heard it too," Sarah said.

"Well, what does that mean?" Orion said.

"Without those fans to circulate air, and with the main gate sealed. The only air getting in here is from the back entrance," Arthur explained. "He can't suffocate us, but after a while it's gonna get pretty damn unbearable in here. Of course by then the power cells will be drained."

"Shit," Orion said, gritting his teeth.

"Well, w-what does that mean for us?" Sarah asked.

"I means we're screwed," Orion said. "We have the defensive advantage, but he's gonna try to smoke us out. And it's probably going to work."

"What does he want?"

"I don't know, but he's got Mrs. Brisby and he's got us by the balls."

"And he's got a huge supply of explosives," Arthur added.

"Damn that too," Orion said. "Okay, here's the plan. Obviously we can't open the main gate, it would be too hard to defend. We'll have to position ourselves at the back entrance, set up a barricade of some kind. Make him fight to get to us. Then we need to move everyone in to some kind of central location. The Library and cafeteria sound good. Lets get everyone there and huddle up. Then shut down all unnecessary power, lights, whatever, and lets keep the plumbing down to a minimum - that'll drain those batteries right away. Then we'll just have to wait and see who caves in first."

"But what about Mrs. Brisby?" Sarah said.

"I don't know. I can't do anything for her right now. He'll probably keep her alive for something. He could have easily escaped without her, so let's just hope for now he needs her for something."

Justin and the others had managed to climb up the ventilation shaft to the master bedroom. There was an air conditioning vent high up the wall that allowed them to look down over the entire room. Schultz had set up some kind of computer terminal there. Apparently the phone line there was of higher quality than the others in the house. There was a high speed lap top computer up and running as Schultz had made the bedroom his makeshift office for the time being.

For the latter half of the evening, Schultz had been alone at the computer, clicking and typing away. The rats had about given up on learning anything that evening when Schultz suddenly called for Valentine.

"This could be interesting," Justin said as Valentine entered the room.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Valentine said.

"I think I've got an idea here, Valentine," Schultz said, leaning back in his chair. "These rats pulled out of here pretty fast right? So that means they must be working as a group. Like an ant colony or something."

"Well, obviously. How else could they have escaped in the first place."

"Exactly. So our rats are thinking as a group and living as a group, as a community. They are going to want to do what ever they can to ensure the survival of the group as a whole. Unlike, say, a pack of wolves who will leave the weak and the sick behind."

"What are you driving at?"

"My point," Schultz sounded slightly irritated, "is that I think these rats had an idea of where they were going. The were tapping these people's water and electricity for who knows how long, and I think they knew they would be discovered one day. So they started scouting around for a new place to live. Some place safe."

"I assume you have an idea where?"

Schultz stood up and placed a large map on the bed, pointing out the location of the nearest city as well as the farmhouse. Then finally pointed to an area circled in red ink.

"Thorn Valley?" Valentine read off the map. "You think they moved to a Natural Reserve?"

The rats held their collective breath.

"Think about it, Valentine. These rats are smart. They probably know as much about this land as we do. And I'm sure they know just as much as you or I do about that valley being off limits. What better place could there be for them to go and hide from human sight?"

"I don't understand. Why don't they just go back to the city, or where ever else there are a lot of rats?"

"Probably because they don't fit in. Other rats might not accept them. Or vice verse. Maybe they think they're better than the average street rat. But I'm almost certain that those rats moved to Thorn Valley to get away from us."

"How can you be so sure?"

"By this," Schultz sat down at the computer and pulled a screen up.

"_Jesus_, Schultz," Valentine said. "This is a top priority satellite feed. How did you get access to one?"

"By taking the necessary means."

"How? You can't even ask for clearance on a satellite until you've done something like..." Valentine trailed off, realizing what he was saying.

"Like a sweep and clear." Schultz said, finishing his sentence.

"Does Stavros know about this?"

"What Stavros doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Are you telling me you're using a top secret _Government_ satellite illegally?"

"Get a grip Valentine. How do you think I got the greenlight for this sweep and clear so fast? This is practically a Black Ops mission. We have to move fast before we're caught up with. And the only way to do that is to get those rats back."

"Schultz, you're crazy. Even if we do get the rats back - This is serious shit here. You're not just looking at a court-martial, you're looking at a life sentence."

"All of which will become meaningless. Valentine, I've never criticized you for you skills as a soldier, but you do lack a very important ability needed to make it big. _Vision_. You can't possibly imagine the ramifications that will be brought about once I can duplicate these rats. Think of what we can learn, or what we can accomplish. The secrets of the world can be ours."  
"I still think you've lost it. In fact, I don't want to wait for Sinclair to shut this project down. I demand to be reassigned immediately-"

"Do you think it's that easy?" Schultz interrupted. "Valentine, this isn't the kind of think you can walk away from. You're my second in command. You know just as much about this as I do, and if the shit hits the fan, you're coming down with me. So don't even think about weaseling your way out."

"Fuck you, Schultz. I didn't come this far to go to jail over some god damn rats."

"Those god damn rats are going to make us a fortune."

"_If_ you can find them!"

"I _have_ found them."

"You've found a valley that is off limits to every human on the planet. Even if you've managed to cover up this sweep and clear as well as using this satellite, people are really going to start noticing you poking around a natural reserve all day. No one is allowed in there. Flying that helicopter up and down that valley is going to attract a lot of attention."

"Not if we're in and out in no time, which I think we can do. I'm certain I've pinpointed the location of the rats. Just look here," he pointed at the monitor, "what I was getting ready to show you before your sudden attack of conscience is this." Schultz punched a button and the view on the map closed in tighter. "This is on thermal imaging. I was scanning the area for anything unusual. With a large area populated by many different animals, the heat signature for the whole area more or less balances out. It's basically even across the board. Then I found this. One hot spot with nothing surrounding it at all."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"As a matter of fact, it does. It means that all other living creatures in the area are avoiding it. There are no large predatory animals in the area, so that rules that out. But that's not all. This heat signature is much too high to be a group of animals. This kind of heat comes from a power supply. There's a machine of some kind down there. Even you are smart enough to know that. All you have to do is the math. Think about it. The amount of distance from here to the lab is evidence enough that the rats could have traveled safely to Thorn Valley. There is something there that has driven off all other animals for quite a distance and there enough heat coming from there to realize that there's more than a little burrowing going on."

Valentine looked at the image as Schultz's words began sinking in. He realized that Schultz had crossed the line a long time ago and wasn't safe to be associated with anymore. He also knew his career depended on this project more than anything and that he would indeed crash and burn with Schultz if it fell apart. "Okay, I'm listening," he said.

"We take the chopper out there tomorrow morning. Early. Assuming they still have normal sleeping patterns. We don't even land at first, we just gas the area from the air. The rats are just as good dead or alive. Plus most probably won't get killed by the gas anyway, just knocked out. We swoop down, scoop up what we can, and blast what ever we leave behind. No one will even know we were there."

Valentine looked at his boss and then at the screen. "You better have this right. We'll only get one shot at this. Someone's bound to spot that chopper going in, and the transponder will give us away for sure. The only way we'll get off the hook is with those rats."

"Valentine, I'm willing to bet my life that those rats are there. They may be clever, but they aren't _that_ clever." Schultz clicked the screen off and leaning back again. "Trust me, Valentine. The day after tomorrow, you can forget about any court-martial and start thinking about counting money."

"When do we leave?"

"Oh-seven-hundred sounds good. Get two men ready for then. Fuel the chopper tonight, I want it fully prepped for tomorrow..."

Justin turned away from the scene. He looked to the others to find them as wide eyed as he was. He motioned with his head for them to move away from the open vent.

"Good god, Justin," Max said. "We're fucked. What are we gonna do?"

"That's a good question," Justin said, looking at Max, then Pollux, Dietrich, Mason, and Mr. Ages. "We have to stop them somehow. We're gonna have to sabotage that helicopter some way. Keep them from taking off."

"And then what?" Pollux said. "Wait for him to call out another?"

"You heard Valentine's voice in there," Justin said. "He said whatever Schultz is doing will get them into a ton of trouble. We've got to find a way to distract Schultz until his mistakes catch up to him."

"That's not good enough," Pollux said.

"Well then what kind of plan do you have?" Justin said.

"He's right, Justin," Max said. "If Schultz has covered his tracks up to this point, we have to assume he can do it forever. We need to think about the colony."

"I _am_ thinking about them, god dammit!" Justin said.

"Then I think we all know what we have to do to protect them," Pollux said.

"I am not about to take a human life! Are you crazy? We're better than that. We're better than... _him_." Justin spat.

"Justin, listen," Mr. Ages said. "Max and Pollux are right. You have to think about the greater good here. Schultz will stop at nothing until he sees the Rats of NIMH destroyed, or worse. It may not be right for us to harm Schultz, but it certainly isn't right to allow him to exterminate all of our friends. He _cannot_ be allowed to complete his mission."

Justin sat silent for a long time, brooding in his dreadful decision. _This isn't happening_, he thought. _This can't be real, it just can't be_. Justin didn't take the thought of killing another person lightly. When he fought Jenner, he saw it as self defense, but to kill Schultz was practically murder. _No it's not. It's the same thing. It's self defense. We're protecting ourselves from him. He is the one who is attacking us_. Justin told himself this over and over to try to calm his emotions. "It has to look like an accident," he said finally. "We have to do it so that there are no suspicions. So that no one will be compelled to follow his work."

"Justin," Max said. "I think we can all tell that Schultz _is_ his work. With him out of the picture, this whole NIMH thing will die. You heard the way the others were talking about it. Valentine wants nothing to do with it, and that Stavros character said they were getting ready to shut it down anyway. But as long as Schultz is alive, we'll be threatened." Max paused as if to emphasize the graveness of his next words. "He cannot be allowed to live."

Justin sat silent again. The debate was horrible. The life of a somewhat innocent, yet delusional, power-hungry human against the lives of hundreds of rats. How could it possibly be weighed? One life was just as valuable as any number, no matter how vile the person holding that life was. Justin didn't feel at all comfortable with the task ahead, but after thinking of Elizabeth and her children for a moment his mind was made up. "Okay," he said. "What do we know about helicopters..."

Night had fallen once more over Thorn Valley. Orion's men had set up a string of defensible barricades starting at the rear entrance and moving back from there deeper into the lair. Even if Jenner's men made a full on rushing attack, there would be several opportunities to slow them down and eventually stop them. Hallways were blocked off by crates and construction equipment. Heavy crates were stacked up like ramparts everywhere, allowing Orion's men to fire from behind safely. All of the other rats had been moved into the Library, cafeteria, and a few other blocks of rooms centralized deep in the Lair, far from Jenner's attack. Orion's men had even created a pipeline of hallways making it easy to take any wounded back for attention. A group of guards and other rats were stationed back to protect the main group as the bulk of the fighting unit were up closer at the point of the Lair's one weak spot. They were deployed in groups of six at each barricade, allowing for easy back up and replacement if it was needed. By protecting themselves and forcing Jenner's men to try and squeeze through a bottleneck like opening, Orion's men had the advantage. To Orion, it seemed as though Jenner had made a very large tactical error by not attacking immediately, but he knew Jenner was a clever rat. He was concerned about what Jenner was waiting to do more than he was about anything else.

Orion was checking up on his men's positions. At every location were six rats who each had a crossbow ready with a spare magazine, as well as a sword should there be any close quarter combat needed. However, Orion had planned on falling back before that would ever be necessary. As he moved up through the ranks, he noticed than his men seemed to be edgy and a little nervous. The closer he got to the Lair's breach, the more nervous some rats seemed to be. At the final blockade, some distance from the actual exitway, Orion moved up cautiously, keeping an eye on the blackness of night that loomed outside the door at the end of the tunnel.

"Hey, you got a nice breeze up here. Seen anything yet?" Orion asked, putting his hand on one of his rat's shoulders. A rat named Sean.

"No, nothing really," Sean said. "I mean, there's been some movement in the shadows out there, but nothing definite."

"Well, you keep your eye peeled. They could charge at any second."

"We're gonna do our best, sir. But it's all this anticipation and waiting that's wearin' us out."

"Don't let it get to you. Do you hear me?" Orion said sternly. "That's exactly what he wants."

"I hear you. Hey Cap', how many'd you say there were?"

"We're still not for sure, but around fifty or sixty."

"And he's the one that killed Jessica?"

"We can only assume so."

"Then we'll just have to make him pay for it," Sean said, tightening his grip and holding his crossbow ready.

Orion admired the younger rat's courage. That's when the first wave of arrows hit. Whistling through the air like banshees, the volley of arrows collided with everything in range. Crashing into the stacked crates, bouncing off the walls, or slamming into the ground. The familiar whip-cracking sound could be heard snapping over and over. Orion and his men ducked just in time as the lethal hailstorm penetrated the lair.

"Down, get down!" Orion shouted as crates began erupting into splinters as they became perforated by more arrows. Through the cracks in their defense, Orion saw that some of Jenner's rats had made it in and were slowly advancing. As soon as one ran out of arrows, another took his place as he reloaded. Arrows were flying through the air like sideways rain. The lethal bolts flew by overhead like some kind of evil river while other arrows slammed into the wooden crates. Making a thunderous impact with every hit. Orion looked to his men, pinned down behind their quickly decaying fortification, and thought of a plan. "On three, find an opening and just start shooting. Don't aim, just shoot! Ready? One... Two... Three!"

Orion and his six guards lifted their crossbows just above their barricade and started shooting blindly, hoping to slow down Jenner's advance. It worked. The amount of fire they were taking was immediately reduced as Jenner's men had no cover. Once the air had cleared for a moment, Orion got up high enough to see his targets and put some aim behind his arrows. His men followed suit, rising up and unleashing all their pump-action crossbows could throw. Two of Jenner's men fell right away. One getting peppered by at least ten arrows all over his body and flying back to land in a twisted heap. The other had taken an arrow in the leg before Orion put a shaft right between his eyes. The fact that he had trained both of them himself to be fine guards didn't make it any easier. The rest of them fell back, retreating from the return fire. Orion was certain at least two others had been wounded as well.

Orion tensely surveyed the tunnel as he heard his men reloading their weapons. The barricade lay battered, but intact, although there were splinters everywhere. Dozens of loose arrows were strewn about. The walls were scratched to hell from all the arrowheads scraping by, as if scorched by dagger-like flames. Two rats laid dead towards the end of the tunnel, and there were signs of blood on the walls and floor from the wounded and dead. Beyond it all was the black hole of night as Jenner's men returned to the darkness they materialized from.

"Everybody okay?" Orion asked. He too had reloaded and chambered his fresh magazine. He stood slowly and cautiously, staying behind the crates. The sounds of his men's grunts told him they were all right.

The sound of a snapping crossbow spun Orion around, training his weapon. He saw a single rat and fired, but the rat had retreated too fast. The attacking arrow stuck into a crate on the right side of the barricade. Just by chance, the arrow had spun the loose box slightly, revealing a small stick of TNT tied to the shaft. Orion's eyes grow wide as he saw the fuse burning fast.

"Move! Fall back now!" He shoved his men off away from the bomb, but not quickly enough. The explosion boomed in the small confined space. The sound was a deafening roar and the blast shattered half of the barricade. Those who didn't move in time rocketed back from the blast, tossed like ragdolls. Smoke and fire and screams filled the air. Everything became swallowed in a thick cloud as burning fragments of wood fell everywhere. Orion's men stumbled about, rendered deaf and blind from the bomb. Those that escaped the blast helped those caught in it to their feet. "Fall back to the next position," Orion ordered, choking in the dust. He was about to move when he realized someone was missing. Looking back, Orion saw his man Sean lying face down near the center of the blast, with a large shrapnel splinter driven in his shoulder.

Orion threw his crossbow down and went back for his fallen rat. Luckily Sean was still breathing, but appeared unconscious. Blood began seeping out from the wound. Orion knelt down to pick him up when a body came vaulting through the flames and smoke. He heard shouts coming from the other side of the blast. It was the sound of Castor's voice, shouting at something. The rat charged Orion, coming right up to him and aiming a crossbow bolt right for his head. Orion deflected the crossbow, but not before it fired. Orion suddenly felt a searing hot pain shoot over the left side of his head. Blood splashed across his eyes from somewhere and he suddenly couldn't hear. Everything slowed down and became blurred, distorted by the blood in his eyes. Highlighted by the flames and burning wood, Orion saw the rogue rat begin to chamber his weapon once more. The rat had a maniacal laugh on his face, taking aim at Orion's head.

Suddenly the world snapped into place. Orion dodged the second arrow and drove his fist into the rat's gut. Feeling the breath escape his adversary, Orion quickly had the rat's head locked in his arms and viciously broke his neck, throwing the dead body to the ground like an unwanted disease. A throbbing sensation had overcome Orion as he vaguely became aware of the shouting voice again. His mind on edge, Orion shook his head free of cobwebs and picked up his bleeding comrade, heading for safety.

The second barricade was just a little ways down the corridor. Once he was through the small gap in the middle, his men filled the void with several wooden crates and took their positions. Orion handed Sean's limp body to one of his men.

"Shit, is he all right?" the rat asked.

"He's breathing, that's all I know," Orion said. "Take him back to the Med Lab. And take this too. Put it on ice and _don't lose it_." Orion slapped something small, fleshy, and covered in blood into the rat's hand.

"God, what is it?" he asked in disgust.

"It's my ear. Now get moving!"

The rat nearly gasped after looking at Orion's maimed head, half covered in blood. Where his left ear should have been was a raggedly torn stub, with thick blood oozing from the gash. The rat nodded silently and rushed off.

"Sir, are you okay?" one of his men asked.

"I'm fine. Just keep you eye on that corridor and shoot the shit out of anything that moves."

"_Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? Orion, can you hear me_?" Came Arthur's voice through a intercom speaker.

Orion stumbled over to the voice box, pressing his hand to his laceration. "Yeah, I hear you Arthur," he said.

"_What the hell just happened_?"

"Jenner attacked us. First it was just arrows, but then he threw a bomb at us. The first barricade is gone. We took a couple hits, but no casualties. I'm sending a couple back to you now. We got at least three of his men, though."

"_We felt the blast back here. Has he moved farther in yet_?"

"Not yet, but I'm expecting him to. Keep everyone tight, this could get uglier than I imagined." Orion clicked off. He picked up a spare crossbow and started to join the others when the intercom clicked on again. "Yeah, what is it?" he said impatiently.

"_Now is that anyway to talk to an old friend_?" came the familiar sound of Jenner's voice through the speaker.

Orion panicked for a slit second, thinking Jenner had made it inside somehow, but realized there were two intercom boxes outside. "What the hell was that, Jenner?" Orion shouted back. "What do you plan on doing? You gonna blow the whole place up? Then what good would it be?"

"_Actually that was just a small effort to get your attention. My intentions for the rest of you will involve something much more... slow. Very slow, and very painful_."

"Are you sure that's gonna work out? I mean, we're just a little scratched up here, but you've already lost three men. You're being careless and sloppy, Jenner. That'll be the end of you."

"_Ah, that was but a small sacrifice_."

"You're bluffing."

"_Am I_?" Jenner's laugh came through the intercom all too clearly. "_Tell me something, Orion. What's it like_?"

"What's what like?" Orion spat back.

_"...Fucking my wife? I was just curious. Never really enjoyed it much myself, but I was just wondering if she's ever accidentally cried my name out. As I'm sure we both know how she secretly yearns for me still. As I tied her up, I detected a look in her eyes. A sign of longing for something she couldn't get with anyone else_." Jenner began laughing again.

"Fuck you," Orion said, killing the transmission.

"What the hell was that?" Castor said.

"Just creating a little tension," Jenner said.

"Or stirring the hornet's nest. Orion's dangerous, Jenner. Driving him into a corner will make him hard enough to handle, but if you get him all pissed off it'll be twice as hard to take him down. I've already lost three men."

"Your men were stupid and careless," Jenner said. "A child could have defeated them."

"Where do we go from here?" Castor said, ignoring Jenner's last comment. "He's right. You can't just blow up the place. It'd be useless."

"For now, I want you to send some of your men down that tunnel to keep Orion busy for awhile. Nothing drastic. Just hold him down, advance when you can, but not too far. Just keep them busy and wear them out."

"And then what?"

"I'll tell you then."

Castor turned to leave, half frustrated and half pissed. "What about her," he said, motioning to Mrs. Brisby, who's hands were tied by a long rope being held by a rat.

"I don't know yet. Perhaps she'll become useful later on. Just go do what I told you, and tell your men not to be stupid again." Jenner motioned Castor away with a flip of his hand and walked over to the captive mouse. He took the rope from the guard's hands and motioned him to join the others. Jenner knelt down to one knee to look at her. "Well, Mrs. Brisby. Once again we meet during a rather... difficult situation."

Elizabeth tried looking away but Jenner simply reeled her in close by wrapping the slack rope over his hand. Jenner took her chin and tilted her head in his direction. "It's not a good idea to turn your back on me Brisby. Bad things happen to those who do."

"What are you going to do to me?" she said, almost defiantly. "Kill me? Hold me for ransom?"

He grabbed her roughly by the collar and brought her face up to his. "Don't tempt me, mouse. I could do things to you that are far worse than you could ever imagine. You may still be alive by the time I'm through with you, but you may wish you were dead. I can do things to you that you've never imagined in your worst nightmares. I could redefine _'violation'_ with your little body. Your puny frame would probably splint in half underneath me, but I'd give it a try. Who knows? You may even enjoy it yourself."

Elizabeth spit in his face. "You're disgusting," she said.

"Fine, have it your way," Jenner said unfazed, wiping his face. "Like I said, you could turn your back on me. Of course then you would find out exactly what happened to your husband."

"_What_?" she said contemptuously.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know what really happened to your husband."

"I know what happened. You can't frighten me, it was Dragon-"

"It was Dragon who ate Jonathan's corpse. But that was after I drove my blade through his lungs. I was there, Mrs. Brisby. I was there at the farmhouse, waiting for your husband to complete his mission, which he did. He always did. Dragon didn't kill your husband at all, Mrs. Brisby." Jenner turned Elizabeth around and imitated his actions on her. "He had planted the drugs without any problem at all. Then as he crawled down the hole, I grabbed his neck from behind, and then I shoved the tip of my sword between his ribs, puncturing his lungs. That way he couldn't scream for help. But he tried. Oh, he tried very hard. But he didn't have the air. It was all rushing out the hole in his back. He began to struggle vainly, but he was too weak to do anything. And then when I ran the blade all the way through his chest, his eyes grew wide, and panicked. For a split second his faced registered the complete and utter terror he felt, as he realized the hot blood that had just splashed across his face was actually his own. Then he fell limp in my arms. Dead. Never knowing what hit him." From his belt, Jenner unsheathed the same sword he was talking about. The starlight glowing off its wavy blade. He slowly slid the blade underneath her cheek as he spoke.

"With his body still skewered to my sword, I lifted him up through that hole in the floor. His blood had started running down over the hilt and onto my hand. It was still hot, and I could feel it coming out in spurts as his heart was still beating, not realizing it was dead yet. I could only get up to my shoulder through, but that was all I needed. I swung out, throwing his body out to the kitchen floor. Dragon immediately pounced on it. Mrs. Fitzgibbons screamed at the sight, throwing Dragon and your half eaten husband outside where Mr. Ages saw it and reported back what he could only guess as to what had really happened."

Jenner held his arm out, holding the sword in front of Elizabeth, letting the starlight bounce off its curves. He pulled her stiff body back and whispered in her ear. "The sound his body made as it slid off the blade was strange. Like the sound of squishing rotten meat between your fingers. His body landed with a simple thud. But when Dragon tore into him... just imagine that same rotten meat and tearing it apart as fast as you can. Just ripping it in half with your bare hands. That is how Jonathan really died. All because he turned his back one me. So don't you ever make that same mistake."

Elizabeth could only shiver at Jenner's words. Tears began filling her eyes as she desperately tried to cling to her sanity as sheer horror began devouring her very soul.


	10. Chapter 9: Belly of the Beast

**Chapter 10: Train of Consequences**

The decision to kill Schultz weighed heavily on Justin's mind. Even though he was doing it to protect the future on the colony and the lives of his friends, it didn't make him feel better about taking someone's life. On the night he had killed Jenner, there hadn't been even a moment to think about his actions, he just did it right then and there. But Schultz was different. The thought rolled around Justin's head for hours, exhausting him mentally and emotionally. And the hours dragged. There seemed to be no easy way to get to the helicopter. There was always someone nearby. As the hours of the night crept on, their window of opportunity was slipping away as well.

"What's on your mind, chief?" Max asked.

The sudden voice startled Justin, sitting at the base of a tree, lost in thought. "I'm thinking our time is running out," he said. "Is there still nothing?"

"There's just one guy now. He was fueling the chopper. He's kinda checking everything else now. He better hurry up, though. I mean, what are we gonna do if we can't get to that bird?"

"I don't know, Max. I don't know." Justin sighed. There was a long stretch of silence before he spoke again. "It's a hell of a thing to kill a man."

"Hey!" Pollux said, waving his hand. "Hey, he's gone. They're all gone."

The rats jumped to their feet and ran up to Pollux's spot. Sure enough, all of Schultz's men had disappeared into their bunks. If there was supposed to be someone on duty, they were slacking off.

"I think I've got an idea," Dietrich said. The others looked his way. "That thing has an electrical ignition right? All we have to do is cut the fuel line, then when the ignition sparks, that'll light the gas and boom."

"That's a good idea," Justin said. "The only problem is it has to light while there's plenty of gas in the tank. If we cut it too soon, they'll notice all the leakage."

"We don't have much time as it is," Max said.

"He's right, Justin," Pollux said. "It's now or never."

"All right, dammit, let's go," Justin said.

The rats and Mr. Ages quickly ran the distance across the open field to the helicopter. The grass was covered in morning dew as their 7:00 deadline approached. Once there, the helicopter loomed overhead like some kind of hellish mountain face. The size alone was staggering enough, but to hope to sabotage the machine became a very daunting thought.

"What are we looking for, Dietrich?" Justin asked.

"Right up there, there is a panel that opens up," Dietrich said, pointing. "I watched them messing with it earlier. It opens up and on the inside there's a fuel line."

"Okay. Then lets go take a look. Max, I want you and me to go up there. If anything happens, if any men come back, I want the rest of you to hide. Get back to our spot if you can. Just don't let anyone see you." The firmness in Justin's voice silenced any protests that might have come from Pollux, Dietrich, Mason, or Mr. Ages. "Okay, Max, lets do this."

"Gotcha," Max said, taking aim just above the helicopter with a customized crossbow. It had been mounted to fire an arrow attached to a rope. Max squeezed the trigger and the arrow zoomed up in a tight arc over the helicopter, pulling the rope along with it. The black rope zipped out of its coil as it went, the arrow tip slamming into the ground on the other side. Pollux went over to secure it even more into the ground. Justin and Max both put on a climbing harness and began pulling themselves up.

The ground slowly fell away from Justin as he pulled himself up the rope. Once he was high enough, he turned his body around and braced his feet on the surface of the helicopter to climb up the rest of the way. The metal was very cold and felt more unnatural that anything he had ever experienced. Walking up the side of the helicopter felt like walking on the surface of some strange alien planet. It was very unnerving to Justin. Once at the top, Max hoisted him the last few inches. Standing on the helicopter's upper structure, Justin and Max detached themselves from the rope and searched for the panel Dietrich had spoken of.

"Here it is," Max said, finding the latch easy enough to open. The panel lifted up and there was a small post to hold it in place. There was barely enough room for them to get inside the small depression.

"This must be the fuel line," Justin said, holing a small hose in his hand. Squeezing it, he could feel the pressure from the gasoline inside. "This shouldn't be that hard."

Suddenly the front door of the house flew open and Schultz stepped out, Valentine was close behind. "What are you doing? It's early."

"I don't care," Schultz said. "I'm tired of waiting. Is the chopper ready?"

"Yes, but," Valentine was obviously hesitant, but didn't know what to say.

The rats below scattered, retreating as fast as they could. With the house so close, Schultz was practically right on top of them. Justin and Max peered over the top to see him advancing on them. "Shit!" Justin said, looking to Max. "We're not gonna make it."

"You are," Max said as he forced Justin's harness back onto the rope and shoved him off the helicopter before he knew what happened.

It happened so fast, Justin didn't even have time to think about it. For a moment he didn't even realize he was harnessed to the rope, thinking Max had just pushed him right off the side. He came to his senses in time to slow his descent, landing hard on the ground. He could see Schultz's boots approaching, just a few feet away on the other side. Justin suddenly felt the rope go slack and fall down to the ground. "Max!" Justin shouted as he heard the sound of the small hatch closing. Just as he was about to run, Schultz appeared. Justin quickly got behind the supporting strut, hiding himself from view.

Max had given Justin enough time to get to the ground before cutting the rope. Without hesitating, he climbed into the exposed opening and closed the door behind him. In the darkness he felt for the fuel line and struck it with his sword, sending gasoline spraying everywhere. As it splashed, some got in his mouth and he nearly choked on the revolting taste, which was only slightly more powerful than the impossibly suffocating aroma. He just hoped that Justin had enough time to get away.

Schultz paused at the helicopter, thinking he heard something funny. He glanced back at Valentine who stood on the porch with a blank expression on his face. "We're going _now_," he said, sounding irritated. "Get the gear." Schultz looked at his watch before climbing in the left side. He always preferred the left side to the right side. After fastening his seatbelt, Schultz began powering up the chopper, then hit the ignition.

Sparks ignited, sending a burst of flame straight to the fuel tank. The explosion screamed to life from the innards of the metal beast. Glass shattered and twisted metal blew apart as the fiery roar ripped the helicopter apart. The sound was like a high pitched metallic scream on top of a massive clap of thunder. A fireball erupted, nearly engulfing the entire machine. The blast lifted the helicopter up into the air and pushed it forward before landing in a mangled heap. Flaming shrapnel flew everywhere. Several burning metal chunks flew into the side of the farmhouse, some going through windows.

The moment Schultz closed the door, Justin fled as fast as he could. The shockwave of the explosion sent him hurtling through the air and dumped him hard into the dirt. Looking back he saw the huge fireball fly up as cinder and shrapnel rained down all around him. The explosion had broken the helicopter's back and its tail hung loosely from the rear. The cockpit was nothing more than destroyed metal shrouded in smoke and fire. Behind the helicopter, Justin saw as the house became pelted with burning debris. A moment later, more flames began coming from within the house as the dry curtains caught fire from the blast. Soon, all of Schultz's men were everywhere. All were franticly searching for a fire extinguisher, confused looks on their faces.

"Max," Justin said deliriously, getting up and heading towards the burning aircraft. "_Max_!"

"Justin, stop," Dietrich said, holding Justin back.

"Justin don't be foolish," Mr. Ages said, helping Dietrich hold their leader back. "There was nothing we could do."

Justin gave in under the pressure of the others holding him back. Pollux and Mason had joined them. Justin could only look at the burning helicopter as if he were watching a nightmare unfold right in front of him. "This isn't happening," he said under his breath before collapsing to the ground, burying his head in his hands. The others watched as the men from NIMH tried to extinguish the flames that had engulfed the helicopter and had now set the house ablaze. They watched as the men franticly tried to stop the house from burning to the ground, but obviously didn't have the right kind of equipment. The fire soon raged beyond their control and they had to stand back themselves, powerless to stop the flames. "Not like this," Justin said. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way."

"We did our best, Justin," Mr. Ages said. "The odds were stacked against us from the beginning, but Max sacrificed himself for the rest of us. It doesn't make me feel any better either, but he saved us all, Justin."

The plume of smoke from the farmhouse extended high into the sky like a black cloud pouring straight out of the ground. The frame of the house could barely be seen through the blurry haze of yellow and orange. The wood crackled harshly as the scent of burning timber, cloth, and, most disturbing of all, flesh permeated the air.

"We should go now, Justin," Mr. Ages said. "Once things calm down, maybe we can retrieve his body, but right now we should seek cover."

Against his own will, Justin agreed, and he and the rats left the field as the Fitzgibbon's house crumbled to the ground.

Jenner's onslaught had continued throughout the night. He never launched into a full scale invasion, but his men kept their assault consistent and the never let up. Many of Orion's rats had been wounded during the fray, but Jenner's men had suffered their own losses. Five of Jenner's men had fallen by the morning. Jenner was not deterred by the casualties, however, and continued the advance.

Jenner had advanced past several barricades into the Lair, but there was still a ways to go before any real threat could be achieved. Daylight could still be seen flooding in from the outside tunnel. With every fallback Orion had to take, he could see the look of worry on his men's faces increase slightly. He did his best to drive them on and tried to avoid showing any signs of stress himself. He had been up for almost two days straight and was on edge. His mind began to zone out as he chambered and fired his weapon with machine like accuracy. The farther back into the Lair they fell, the air became thicker and muggier. They were all sweating through their uniforms. Orion's forearm had a smear in it from all the times he wiped his forehead. The bandage over his severed ear had trouble staying on, but the wound had crusted over with dried blood enough that it didn't matter. He stood at the frontline with his men, taking cover behind their crate fortifications as arrows pummeled them mercilessly, returning fire at every opportunity.

They had reached a stalemate at the fourth barricade in from the back exit, twenty-five feet from the opening; all of the barricades were set at five-foot intervals. Each side had a large supply of rats waiting to fight, but a limited space to fight in. The volley of arrows had lasted most of the morning before Orion had begun to suspect something. Through the chaos, Orion had been able to hear noises coming from behind Jenner's frontline. Strange noises, as if his men were working on something. Of what it was, Orion had no idea since he couldn't get a glimpse past the group of fighting rats.

Orion paused in thought too long, not watching his enemy. He paid the price when an arrowhead sliced sharply across his left shoulder. Orion fell backwards, dropping his crossbow to the ground and gripped his arm. The pain searing and white hot.

"Are you all right, sir?" One of his men asked quickly.

"I'm fine, go, take my spot. Hold them off," he said, looking at his cut. As he clamped his right hand over the gash, blood had seeped between his fingers enough to run down his arm. He removed his hand for a moment to reveal a deep, clean cut. He cursed himself under his breath and headed back to the next barricade. The always kept a group of rats ready on the next barricade back to help retrieve wounded and to help with any medical attention. The next stop back was actually around a slight curve in the tunnels, which would prove very troublesome to Jenner if he advanced to that point. His men were surprised to see him coming back for help. His arm was quickly wrapped in a bandage as his men told him he should head back into the lair to rest, but Orion would have nothing of it.

"How's the position holding?" One of his men asked.

"We're dug in pretty solid," Orion said. "But I don't know, something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, something's wrong. Jenner's up to something, I can feel it." Orion paced around, rotating his shoulder as much as he could, wincing in pain. "He hasn't moved in hours. I'm almost expecting him at any minute to try something drastic."

Just then, a loud commotion sounded ahead at the barricade. Orion paused and looked puzzled when he heard static crackling over the intercom. "_Captain! Captain_!" Came an urgent voice.

"What is it?" Orion answered.

"_We did it_!" The voice exclaimed. "_We pushed him back, Jenner's falling back_!"

"What? When?" Orion said.

"_Just a moment ago. We took down two more of his men and they just started falling back, we're gonna follow them and drive them out_."

"No, wait-" Orion said before a new signal had cut into the transmission.

"_Are you there, Orion_?" Came Jenner's voice.

"I'm here," Orion spat.

"_Do me a favor, Orion_," Jenner purred over the speaker. "_When you inform your men's families of their deaths be sure to point out how it was your carelessness that got them killed_."

Orion's gut twisted, realizing Jenner had set a trap and lured his men right into it. Orion bolted down the corridor, finding the last barricade abandoned as his men had advanced on Jenner's position. "No, get back!" He screamed. "It's a trap! Get back-"

The shockwave of the blast threw Orion back with enough force to knock the wind out of him. The detonation was so loud within the tunnels that Orion was instantly deafened, his head ringing with pain. A hot blast of sulfur and gunpowder blew Orion back against the wall as dirt and shrapnel fell in all directions. The ground had rumbled with such force that layers upon layers of dirt fell from the ceiling. Dust filled the air. Orion couldn't see his hand in front of his face, but through the deafening roar of he explosion he could hear the screams of his men just before he heard the sound of the roof caving in on them.

Orion landed with his back to the wall, in a daze as chunks of dirt fell all around him. He could barely see or hear. His body felt numb. His mouth was full of dust, dirt, and blood as he coughed. With every breath he gagged on the dust choked air. Feeling his energy draining from him with each passing second, Orion desperately tried to cling to consciousness as he felt reality slip away. _Why would he do that_? He thought. Surely he did it to wipe out some of Orion's men. _But why would he seal off his only way in? The front gate is completely secure. The only way to get though it would be to-_

Orion was on his feet and running before he even completed his thought, yelling and ordering his men to the front gate.

Justin and the others spent most of the morning watching the men from NIMH clean up the destruction caused by the explosion. Within an hour, Stavros was on the scene. With Schultz dead, Valentine was now the head of the operation and had to handle all the hard questions. The look on Valentine's face was enough to tell the rats they had succeeded. The NIMH project had become a complete disaster. Valentine tried to pass all the blame off on Schultz's near obsessive lunacy, but that apparently wasn't enough for Stavros. The whole operation had become a black eye on the agency and covering up all the damage caused was going to be difficult.

They had determined that Schultz had not died directly from the blast, but that he had actually died from smoke inhalation. He had struggled too franticly to free himself of the seatbelt and had choked on all the smoke. His death had not been quick nor painless as most of his clothing and skin had burnt off before he died. The farmhouse had been leveled and the helicopter had burned out to a shell. After the fire had been extinguished and Stavros arrived on the scene, they began investigating the cause of the explosion. There was quite a commotion when they opened up the access hatch to find a dead rat there. They had determined that whoever had done matanance last on the helicopter had left the door open and then the rat had somehow found its way inside where it was trapped and in a frantic struggle to get free, it cut open the fuel line which was ignited by the sparks of the ignition. The report was somewhat far fetched; but then again, everything about the NIMH project had been far fetched. As ridiculous as it was, the cause of death was good enough for Stavros. He had ordered everyone off site and had called a clean up crew out to take care of the mess. During the gap, Justin and the others retrieved Max's charred body, which had simply been dropped to the ground after it was discovered. They created a stretcher out of their various supplies and left the scene.

The walk back was silent for the rats. Pollux led the way, with Justin and Dietrich carrying the stretcher, and Mr. Ages and Mason following behind. Storm clouds threatened the skies as they went. They headed away from the farmhouse through the familiar trees and shrubbery on their way towards the railroad bridge. As they set foot on the concrete of the bridge's ledge, they could feel the tiny vibrations of the earth underneath their feet. The vibrations grew steadily stronger and louder as they reached the midpoint of the bridge. The roar of the train's whistle sounded just before it passed under and it blew up a huge cloud of steam as it crossed. The rats steadied themselves against the vacuum caused by the train's passage. The earth shook violently as each car snaked its way along the rails.

Justin glanced at Pollux just in time to duck under the swinging rat's blade. Pollux's sword clanged against the concrete wall as Justin lunged forward, tackling the attacker. After a quick exchange of blows, Justin kicked free of their tangle and pulled his blade free and defended himself from a barrage of attacks as the train continued to scream along. The swords clashed against each other as only two master swordsmen could do. For every strike Pollux used, Justin was ready to defend it and attack with a countermove that Pollux knew how to defend, but Justin was stronger and used his brute strength to push Pollux close the edge of the bridge. With Pollux quickly losing room to maneuver, he began forgetting about his swordplay while trying not to fall off. Their swords clashed once more and connected at the hilt, turning it into a reverse tug of war. Justin saw a chance and surprised Pollux by twisting the rat's sword arm behind his back. Pollux screamed in pain as Justin wrenched his arm. Justin grabbed Pollux by the collar and held his body close to the edge of the bridge.

"Give me one reason why I don't kill you now!" Justin said, shouting to be heard over the train's noisy passage.

Pollux's face twisted in pain and rage, but he still found a way to smirk back at Justin. "Because you're not man enough to do it," he said. "You're soft and you know it!"

Justin's grip grew tighter on Pollux's arm. "Why are you doing this?" He said. "Who put you up to this?"

Pollux laughed. "That's for me to know and for you to find out-" Suddenly, Pollux threw his body forward off the edge, pulling Justin with him. The two rats crashed down on top of one of the train's boxcars. The impact separated them, sending them rolling off in different directions. Pollux recovered first, and came full on against Justin, wildly smashing his sword down on the roof with Justin barely avoiding each strike. Justin kicked Pollux behind the knee, dropping him down as well. Soon they were both back on their feet and exchanging blows again. The bridge where they once stood quickly vanished off in the horizon as they each tried to kill the other. The wind was whipping by, making accurate hits more difficult. The constant shifting of the train car made getting a firm footing even harder.

The train passed under another small bridge, sending them into blackness for a moment. They clashed swords once again. Each strike more powerful that the last. Each tumbled several times on the shaky roof, but recovered quickly. Their swords fought until their hands were numb, but as their exchange threatened to turn into a stalemate, Justin abruptly lost his balance on the moving train and fell on his back. Pollux leaped forward, bringing his sword down. Justin brought up his feet and caught Pollux's arms as the rat landed on Justin's crouched legs. They struggled once more, Pollux slowly edging his sword closer to Justin's head.

"Next time you have a chance to kill someone," Pollux said between grunts. "Don't hesitate."

Justin immediately let go of Pollux's hands and dodged his head to one side to avoid the falling blade. Caught off guard, Pollux couldn't react in time, and with all the strength he could muster, Justin kicked Pollux's body high up into the air just as the train passed under another concrete bridge. For a split second, Justin saw Pollux's body connect with the concrete. The sound of the crunching bones could even be heard over the rattle of the train's movement as Pollux's body went sickeningly limp. Justin turned around in time to see Pollux's body fall down and bounce off a train car before falling to the ground.

"Thanks for the advice," Justin said as an afterthought. He then gathered up his sword and headed to the side of the car. Taking some loose rope he had wrapped around his waist, Justin tied on end to the car and took the slack in his hands. Carefully, he lowered himself over the edge and rappelled down the moving car until he was near the bottom. He braced himself there until a clearing opened up. Once a big patch of grass was in sight, Justin kicked out hard with his legs again, catching the air and letting slack rope go through his hands enough to get some distance between he and the train as well as slow his freefall. At the last possible moment, Justin let go of the rope. The grass seemed to float underneath him slowly for a moment before rushing up to meet him wickedly fast. He threw is body into a roll and crash-landed into the soft ground.

When the world stopped spinning, Justin watched as the caboose drove by, picked himself up, and headed back towards the others.

Cameron looked around wildly at the carnage. Jenner's bomb had seemingly shaken the entire earth. The blast echoed like thunder through the land. From his point of view, well away from the lair, Cameron could see all the action. There was a huge pile of rubble where the rear entrance had once been. The firm hillside had been reduced to a gaping mound of dirt. The blast had sent a large plume of dirt into the air and left a trail of dust on the ground. The fortified main entrance had also been bombed. It's steel reinforced structure had been ripped out of the ground and twisted upwards in a scorched, metallic wreck. A large part of the hill towards the main entrance had also been ripped out of the ground. The sliding metal door had been shredded like cardboard by the second bomb. All of Jenner's men were now scurrying to this new point of attack. While his men did the dirty work, Jenner, Castor, Sasha, and a few others had been hanging far back from the action, surveying the scene.

Unaware of the bombings, Cameron became enraged and marched up to Jenner, yelling at the top of his lungs. "What in the name of god have you done?"

"Creating a hole," Jenner replied, somewhat irritated.

"You already had a 'hole.' You never said anything about any more bombs. This is madness Jenner! By the time you're done there won't be anything left."

Castor and Sasha stood by silently as Jenner spoke. "Cameron, you are quickly becoming a thorn. If you continue to question my actions, my motives, and my authority, I can only assume that you are no longer on my side and have become an adversary. Do you want this?" Jenner asked calmly, his face inches from Cameron's.

"Someone has to say something. Your minion and your whore might not have the guts to speak up, but I do. You've _completely _lost grip with reality! You'll have us all dead by the end of this if you keep up these destructive activities! What good is seizing control of the colony if there isn't a colony left?"

Jenner grabbed Cameron by the collar, raising his voice, but still keeping calm. "This is your last warning. I swear I will get rid of you just as easily as I acquired you."

"What are you going to do? Kill me? I think I'm much too important for you to just-" Cameron's breath gasped out as Jenner ran his sword through his chest, driving the blade between his ribs and out his back.

"Actually, you're not," Jenner said, completing Cameron's thought. Cameron reached out, but Jenner knocked his hand aside, holding him still by the collar. Cameron choked, coughing up blood. The look on his face was of utter confusion and surprise. Jenner twisted the blade and watched Cameron's life vanish from his eyes before pulling out the sword and dropping the lifeless body to the ground.

Castor and Sasha were speechless. "What?" Jenner asked as he wiped the blade clean.

"You never said you were going to kill him," said Sasha, shocked by the sudden murder of her husband.

"He became a liability," Jenner said casually. "He didn't have the balls to go through with this and became more harmful than good Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-no," Sasha said, stuttering at Jenner's cold words.

"Good. No find someone to dispose of this mess," with that Jenner left Sasha and Castor in their own thoughts.

"Cameron was right," Sasha said. "He's gone mad."

"No, there's a difference between madness and ambition," Castor said in a voice that sounded unsure of its words. "Cameron was weak, a bad link in the chain that was only hurting us all. Jenner was just cutting loose the unnecessary excess."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Castor," Sasha said. "Keep saying that until your time comes."

"Shut-up," Castor said, getting in her face. "Just stick to the plan and it will all work out just as Jenner designed it to."

"Sasha!" Jenner shouted, just a few feet away. He motioned her to follow him as he walked towards the tree line. Sasha walked slowly, giving Castor and extra-long glance as she did. "Castor, clean that up," Jenner repeated before disappearing into the woods.

Sasha followed cautiously as Jenner walked well into the woods before turning behind a large tree. She followed him carefully, keeping an even distance between the two, but had no choice but to move up next to him once he stopped. Standing next to the tree trunk, Jenner turned to face her, holding his hands out. After a brief hesitation, Sasha placed her hands in his palms. His fingers closed gently over hers and suddenly forced her back to the tree, pinning her arms up against the bark.

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" He asked.

"Why shouldn't I be?" She said. "You just killed my husband."

"I've killed many," he said. "And each of those that I've killed had one thing in common with your husband, Cameron. Do you know what that is?"

"What?"

"You didn't care about any of them."

"So? He _was _your ally. If you can discard him so easily, then what about the rest of us?"

"I'd hoped you would have been better than that," Jenner said, still holding her arms back. "Cameron was less an ally and more an accessory. A tool I used to get something I wanted."

"And what was that?"

"You," he said, flashing a rare genuine smile. He released her hands, pressed his body up against hers and began stroking her hair.

"There are other ways to a girl's heart than running her husband through his."

"Well you know me. I like to be creative."

"You were going to kill him all along, weren't you?"

"Sooner or later. He drove me to choose sooner. Besides, I hated the idea of sharing you with him."

Sasha wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him tighter. "You haven't shared me for a long time. I can't even remember the last time I was with Cameron."

"But you remember the last time you were with me, don't you?" He asked as he started kissing her neck.

"I remember," she said, leaning back. "But it's been awhile. I might need you to remind me about it."

"With pleasure," he said, nearly ripping off his belt and undoing his shirt. He didn't even bother with her clothes, just hiking her shirt above her waist. Jenner lifted her up and pushed her back against the tree. Their kisses became rough and passionate as he forced his body into hers. Sasha had wrapped her legs around him and clawed his back as she welcomed him into her. Jenner held her steady with his left arm against the tree and his right hand grabbing around and underneath her thigh. Sasha's breath became ragged and louder with each successive push. One thing Jenner always liked about her was that she was loud and rough in bed, and he was giving her just what she liked, pounding her back into the hard bark of the tree. He began snarling and grunting loudly himself. Loose pieces of bark and dirt tumbled down from all the action. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was punishing her. Jenner grinded his body against hers for several minutes, his muscles taunt and sweating beneath his loose clothes. Sasha wrapped her arms around his bulky frame and just held on for the ride as she was burning from the inside out in ecstasy. Then Jenner snarled louder than ever, pulling her hair and thrusting his pelvis viciously against hers, slamming her back against the tree, and pushing his organ to its greatest depths before releasing himself inside her. With each discharge his body spasmed and his claws dug into her bare skin, drawing blood. Sasha screamed louder than ever in delight, as she too succumbed to passion. He ran his teeth and tongue against her sweaty neck as she purred with pleasure. His body jerked as the last few drops were squeezed out. Sasha pulled Jenner's body tightly against hers with her arms and legs. Her inner thighs felt like they may have been bruised from his body pounding into her, and her back had been scratched and cut unmercifully by the tree bark, but she loved every bit of it.

He stood pressed against her in silence save for their heavy breaths. After a moment, Jenner ran his hand between their legs were they were still joined. She moaned and writhed as he probed with his fingers. Bringing his hand up found it dripping with both their fluids as he rubbed his fingers along her lips, which she gladly licked up just before he offered his own tongue to her as well. And just as they made love, their kisses were messy and raw.

"You love what I do to you, don't you?" Jenner asked.

"Oh, yes," she said. "And you can do that to me for the rest of our lives."

Mr. Ages was so stunned by Justin and Pollux falling off the bridge that he hardly saw what was happening right behind him. Without hesitation, Mason had unsheathed his sword and marched on Mr. Ages. Dietrich saw what was about to happen and pulled his sword out as well. "No!" He shouted, diving to block Mason's blow. Their swords crashed and Dietrich tumbled to the ground after lunging at an awkward angle. Mr. Ages backpedaled from the fray, staring wide-eyed.

"Out of the way Dietrich!" Mason screamed, then swinging down at Dietrich as he tried to twist himself straight. The blade cracked against Dietrich's shin, cutting into him. Dietrich cried in pain, but had enough sense to react, driving his heel into Mason's groin. As Mason doubled over in pain, Dietrich lunged up, ramming his blade through Mason's heart. Death was almost instant, and Mason's body fell limp on top of Dietrich's legs.

Dietrich writhed in pain again. The sword had cut deep into his calve and the pain was like fire burning his skin. He struggled to push Mason's body off, but the pain became so intense that it was nearly unbearable. Suddenly, Mr. Ages was there, helping to push the body away. They sat motionless, looking at Mason's body as the train rumbled on its way.

"He was supposed to kill me," Mr. Ages said blankly.

"We both were," Dietrich said.

"What?"

"We were all sent to kill you. Mason, Pollux, and I. We were to complete the mission and then kill everyone before we returned."

"But... why, who?" Mr. Ages stumbled.

"Jenner. We were sent by Jenner."

"Jenner's alive?"

"He's alive, and he's back in Thorn Valley. We were all working with him."

"Why?"

"Because we believed in a cause..."

"And just what made you change your mind?"

"I don't know," Dietrich said after a long pause. "Somewhere along the way, I just realized it was wrong."

"Well, now what? For all we know, Justin may be dead. And I assume Jenner had some kind of plan for Thorn Valley while Justin was away."

"It's a long story," Dietrich said, as he tore open a supply bag, looking for a bandage. "But right now, we should follow these tracks and look for Justin. We need to get back before it's too late."

After bandaging his leg, Dietrich and Mr. Ages dragged Max's body across the bridge. Dietrich's wound was deep, making it almost impossible to put any weight on his right leg. After they hid the body and supplies, they headed off following the train tracks, proceeding slowly due to Dietrich's limp. They traveled for several hours before finally running into Justin. Dietrich explained what had happened, but Justin had already figured out in his head what was going on. The journey back didn't take as long with Justin helping Dietrich along. They returned to the landing spot and explained to a confused Brenda and Archer what had happened. A return to Thorn Valley was needed immediately, but neither Jeremy nor his mate were anywhere to be found.

"How many are dead?" Nicodemus asked.

"I don't know. Ten, maybe twenty," Orion said, speaking to Nicodemus in the confines of the library, where many of the rats had barricaded themselves. Their position became even more desperate now that Jenner had breached the unprotected side of the lair. "There's too much ruble to tell now."

Nicodemus sighed deeply. "He simply will not rest until he has destroyed us all. He must be stopped, before anymore lives are lost."

"That's the hard part. We never anticipated a move like this. He's moved in deep now. It's hard to say where he may be, or where to concentrate the most defensively. God dammit this is a big fuck up!" Orion shouted to himself bitterly. "I should have known better."

"Do not hold yourself for the blame, Orion. None of us could have predicted such a monstrous attack. You mustn't dwell on your mistakes, and instead concentrate on you strengths."

Sarah had been kneeling next to Nicodemus, after taking a brief leave from the Brisby children. "Listen to Nicodemus," she said. "He's right. Jenner can be stopped, and you can stop him."

Orion turned away, scratching his wounded ear. "I don't know," he said softly. "Maybe..."

Sarah stood, moving in front of him. "_Yes_, you can. I know you can." She took his hands in hers. "I've always believed you could accomplish anything, and you always could. And I still believe in you."

Orion looked at Sarah, gazing into her eyes. She may have been a generation older than him, but she had an innocence he admired. She was trusting and loving. She was the sweetest person he knew, and he knew he would rather die then let any harm come to her. He ran his fingers through her hair, watching the smile that had always made him feel alive, when suddenly, the thought hit him.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, noting the abrupt change in his expression.

"I have an idea," he said.

"Tell me, what is it?"

"No, it's better if you don't know."

"But, Orion-"

"No, hush now. I need you to stay here and keep yourself safe. This will all be over soon." He kissed her on the forehead gently before rushing off into the darkness.

He ran into Arthur shortly after. "I've got a plan," Orion said.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"I've got no time to explain, just trust me. I want you to order all the men to hold their positions. Do not make _any _advancements on Jenner's positions, no matter how safe it looks."

"Orion, wait. Why not?"

"You'll know soon enough, just go, do it." Before Arthur could reply, Orion was off running, only he wasn't running towards the fight, he was running towards the destroyed rear entrance.


	11. Chapter 10: Train of Consequences

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Chapter 11**

**"To The Hilt"**

The sky was dimming as Justin paced the grass, his mood growing more temperamental with each passing minute. "Where the hell is he, dammit?" He asked, looking to the sky for answers.

"So what are we going to do?" Brenda asked, wrapping a fresh bandage over Dietrich's leg.

"I don't know. If you say you don't know what Jenner was planning, I don't know," Justin said, sighing.

"He never _told _us anything," Dietrich said. "That was his thing. If nobody knew what was going on, then nobody could fuck it up."

"Yes, this was definitely a fuck up. One big fuck up. It's too bad you didn't grow a conscience a little sooner," Justin said.

"Look, I said I'm sorry," Dietrich said. "You know what Jenner's like. He just sucks you in and you forget about everything else."

"If any of my friends are dead, '_sorry' _isn't going to cut it," Justin spat.

"Well, I'm not the one slowing us down right now. We would be back by now if that stupid bird was here."

"Don't even try to pass the blame-"

"Knock it off, both of you," Brenda interrupted. "This isn't helping and it can't change the past. We need to work together. We're all on the same page now, and that's what matters. Your bickering won't do anything except give the rest of us a headache."

They all became silent. Justin, Brenda, Dietrich, Archer, and Mr. Ages. They were all helpless to do anything until Jeremy returned.

Orion slowed down as he neared the devastation. The tunnel to the rear entrance had caved in after the explosion. The floor was littered with debris. Wood crates had been reduced to splinters. Huge chunks of dirt and brick had been blown from the walls. There were several crossbows and loose arrows strewn about. Electrical wire hung from the ceiling, and the bulb at the end, miraculously, was still working.

Orion climbed the hill of loose dirt piled up at the exit, and began digging. He threw aside handfuls of dirt as fast as he could, throwing up choking dust at the same time. If his plan worked, his men could surprise Jenner from behind as he was concentrating his efforts on the main gate. Orion just hoped he could dig a way out without attracting any attention. The walls and ceiling fell away with his efforts. Suddenly, there was a hole of blackness as he punched through. Orion felt the cool breeze of night welcome him. Once the hole was made, Orion began widening it, digging sideways and downwards. Orion's claws hit something hard as he dug. Orion tried digging up the object when he realized to his horror that it was the body of one of his guards as he unearthed the dead rat's arm. Orion's blood ran cold, driving him harder than before to find an advantage over Jenner.

After creating a hole big enough, Orion grabbed a working crossbow from the wreckage and tossed it out, only to use it only if it was necessary. He was only going to spy on Jenner's plans, not attack it outright. Orion then started crawling out the small hole himself. The cool night air was a refreshing change from the stuffy confines of the lair.

Orion had crawled out to his waist when he suddenly felt hands gripping his arms. Orion's body was jerked violently forward and thrown to the ground. He found himself starring at the sharp end of an arrow aimed for his head.

"Jenner said he thought you might try something, _Captain_," The rat said.

Orion started to rise but another rat slammed his foot down on his chest. "Don't even think about it," The second rat said. "Your lucky Jenner wants you alive." The second rat yanked Orion to his feet while the first kept his crossbow trained. They motioned in the direction of the main entrance and Orion went accordingly.

Most of Jenner's men had moved inside, only a few were left out in the darkness, lit by a small fire. Jenner sat on a tree limb, his sword tip in the ground and his arms crossed over the hilt. Sasha and Castor were nearby, as were a few other rats. A flash of glee went over Jenner's face as he saw the Captain of the Guard being escorted to him.

"Orion, so good of you to join us," Jenner said boisterously. "I've been expecting you. Figured you'd try some bold stunt. It's a shame you were so predictable, otherwise this might have been a surprise."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Orion said. "Maybe in the future I can get to be as conniving and destructive as you."

"Don't count on it." Jenner said, smiling in triumph.

Orion looked around the camp. The small number of rats sitting around the fire were probably comprised of the rats Jenner trusted the most, with Castor and Sasha sitting the closest to him. Mrs. Brisby was there, her hands tied to a rope held by Jenner. He also noticed Cameron was conspicuously absent.

"Where's your buddy, Cameron," Orion said. "Is he off taking a leak?"

"Oh, he's leaking," Jenner said, "but he won't be joining us tonight, or ever again."

Orion looked for some kind of reaction on Sasha's face, but found none. He quickly winked at Mrs. Brisby, hoping to send her a ray of hope. "So I assume you want me for something," Orion said.

Jenner stood and walked up to Orion, "I see you have a little cut," Jenner said, eying Orion's bandaged arm.

"I've had worse."

"Oh, I see," Jenner said, noticing Orion's missing ear for the first time. "I'll bet _that _hurt."

"A little."

Jenner paused, sizing up Orion before he spoke. "I'm going to get right to the point, Captain. I'm growing very weary of seeing your face pop up uninvited. The only reason I'm letting you live is to deliver a message for me."

"Why not deliver it yourself?"

"Because it's not my decision to make. The decision is up to you and Nicodemus to decide. You can forget about ever seeing Justin and the others alive. Like Justin, you are far too trusting, and made a mistake by letting Castor load up his side of the team with my men. Now, I think you and I both know that Justin will surely accomplish his objective, but he won't be ready when my men butcher him and the others due to this fatal trusting flaw. This leaves only you and Nicodemus to lead the rats, so here is what you two have to decide:

"If you don't surrender within five minutes, I'll set fire to the farm and burn all of your crops. With those gone, most of you will starve through the winter. Those of you who don't die by the end of the night, that is. Make no mistake Orion, you and your men are cornered, and _we _have the advantage. Surrender now, or die and leave your fellow rats to starve a slow death."

Orion acted unaffected by Jenner's words. "So when do the five minutes begin? Now, or when I get back?"

"They begin _now_," Jenner said, squeezing Orion's bandaged arm. Orion winced in pain, but held his composure.

"Is there anything else you want me to tell them?"

"Yes. Be sure to inform Sarah that she will not die immediately with the rest of you, should you chose to continue your pitiful fight... I have something special planned for her. Now go." Jenner pushed Orion towards the main entrance, ordering his men to stand down and let him pass.

After Orion had been let back in, Castor walked up to Jenner. "You _do _realize that it's going to rain soon?" He said.

"_And_?" Jenner asked, slightly annoyed.

"Water puts out fire," Castor said, nearly condescending.

Jenner looked up at the darkening clouds and scrunched his eyebrows. "We've got plenty of time. And besides, I'm sure that Nicodemus wouldn't want _any _of his precious farm land burnt up."

Thunder clapped as Jeremy landed near the rats. "Hey, you guys are back already?" He asked.

"_Where _have you been?" Demanded Justin.

"I was just... uh," Jeremy was lost for words, easily detecting Justin's bad temper. "I just didn't expect you back so soon. I'm sorry."

"Well, we need to head back, _now_," Justin said as he started putting supplies back in one of the baskets.

"Okay... we can do that, but there's just one problem," Jeremy said hesitantly.

"What?"

"I can't carry all of you."

"What the-"

Brenda interrupted Justin with a calming hand. "Your mate," she said. "Where is she?"

"Oh, I don't know. She's... uh," Jeremy said, truly not having an answer and feeling embarrassed.

"That's fine," Brenda said, despite Justin's glare. "You can at least take half of us back now, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Whenever you're ready," Jeremy said happily, just glad he could give a positive answer.

"So who's going and who's staying?" Justin asked.

"Leave me here," Dietrich said. "I'm no good anyway. Why don't you, Brenda, and Mr. Ages go? Me and Archer can carry Max back. You guys are more important right now. They need you."

Archer nodded in agreement.

"Okay, that settles it," Justin said without a second thought. "C'mon you two, get your stuff together."

Justin, Brenda, and Mr. Ages loaded up their basket carefully, then took off with Jeremy under a darkened sky.

Jenner's men were ordered to let Orion safely through each of their strongholds. Jenner's men had punched deep into the lair from the main entrance and were able to set up a reverse design of Orion's original battle plan for defending the rear entrance. Only Jenner had made a very large tactical error, and Orion was going to exploit it. Once he was past the final gauntlet held by Jenner, Orion bolted towards the library, with a plan in mind.

Jenner's mistake was allowing Orion to see where his men were stationed at and how many were there. Orion had complete visual access to every inch of Jenner's point of entry. He memorized each location and how many men occupied each area; what their supplies were like; how many weapons they had; what their back up was like. It was all openly exposed right to him and Jenner didn't even realize it. Or if he did realize iy, he didn't think Orion was smart enough to utilize it.

"So what are we gonna do?" Arthur asked after Orion laid everything out quickly.

"We don't have much time," Orion said. "We're gonna surprise them. We have to hit them hard with everything we've got, and we've got to keep giving it to them. They expect a cease-fire, they'll never see it. But we have to strike now. We only have two minutes at the most."

"Then that is it," Nicodemus said, nodding. "It has come down to this. Orion, be careful. There is much at stake, but I trust you will be victorious. Just do not make it a Pyrrhic victory."

Orion nodded to the old rat then turned to his men. "Everyone, lock and load. Drop what you don't need and load up all the arrows you can carry. It's our turn to take the fight to him. So let's do this and let it be the end of it all."

Elizabeth tried easing the burn of the ropes tied around her wrists, but it was no use. Jenner saw her shifting uncomfortably and smiled. "It will all be over soon, Mrs. Brisby." He sneered, tightening his grip on the other end of the rope.

"And just what do you have planned for me afterwards? Are you going to kill me?" She said, more than asked. Her voice was strong and unwavering.

"I don't know," Jenner said in a distracted tone. "I haven't really thought of it. I could just kill you, but if I wanted to do that I could have a long time ago. You'll be of no use as a bargaining chip, since I'll have nothing to bargain for..." Jenner's voice wandered off as he watched a few of his men dousing the farm tracts with kerosene. "Maybe..." he said, bring his face close to hers, "Maybe I'll just _fuck you,_" The playful tone and smile gone from his voice. "That's what I'll do. Fuck you. _In front of your children_." He grabbed her by the collar of her cape and shook her with each word. "Maybe I'll do that. Fuck you until you _die _as your children cry and scream as they watch me tear you open and spill your blood on the ground - " Jenner pushed Elizabeth to the ground, pressing his body on top of hers - "And after I've _fucked _you in one end, I'll fuck the other _'til it's bleeding too_!" Spinning Elizabeth over on her stomach, Jenner pushed his pelvis into her backside.

Jenner paused to smile, saliva dripping from his lip. "But maybe I won't do that first," He whispered into her ear, then spun her around onto her back again. "Maybe I'll fool around a little. After all, I've never tasted mouse flesh before. It might be pretty good." Jenner grazed her nose with his tongue. Elizabeth's eyes were wider than ever in fear as Jenner pressed his menacing body down on hers, viciously shaking her to emphasize his point. "Do not _even _try to get cocky with me, Brisby. Because I _will _do it. _I will _tear open your cunt. _I will _fuck you so far up your ass that you'll be choking on me. I will _fuck you _until _you die_. And I will _continue _to fuck you until your flesh is cold. And then, I will fuck your daughters _even worse _than I fucked you! How does that make you feel Brisby?" He growled through clenched teeth, forcing himself between her legs. "_How does that make you feel_!"

The sound of screams echoed from the entrance. Jenner looked up, hearing the sounds of sudden battle cry out from the caverns. His men that had been meandering around outside quickly rushed into the lair, realizing at the same moment what Jenner was. "_Orion_," he seethed, about to choke Elizabeth but forgetting her momentarily. "Burn it!" He screamed at a passing rat.

"What?" Asked the confused minion, stopping in his tracks.

"The fields - _Burn it now_!" Jenner's voice became horse from shouting as he pointed his finger towards the fuel soaked fields. The rat looked confused, but obeyed as he was told. Striking a match and tossing it to the prairie.

The fire was small at first, but quickly sparked into a huge trail of flame, like an orange tsunami barreling over the farmland's young crops. Soon it seemed as if the entire horizon was an orange wall of fire under the black sky.

Jenner briefly turned his attention back to Elizabeth, "I will deal with you later," he said in a low, threatening tone. He stood up, dragging her with him as he ordered his men onto the defensive in an attempt to hold his position. "_Castor_!" Jenner shouted to his second in command.

Amongst the chaos, Castor gave Jenner his attention, "Yes, sir?"

"Tell those men to fight back. Tell them to kill anything that moves. Anyone found not fighting will be slaughtered _immediately_. And if they don't stop those stupid rats from advancing, I will personally have your head!"

Castor nodded blankly, knowing full well his commander would live up to his threat.

"Where's Sasha?" Jenner demanded.

"She's already inside," Castor said sheepishly.

"Shouldn't you be joining her?" Jenner said, irritated.

Without a word, Castor vanished into the lair, along with the rest of Jenner's men. Pulling the frightened Mrs. Brisby with him, Jenner was the last to enter the lair, and he had the taste of blood in his mouth.

No one saw it coming. Orion and his men charged fast and hard, firing in all directions, taking out every rat before they could signal for help. The first of Jenner's blockade had ten rats standing by, still under the impression that there was a cease-fire. They fell before they knew what hit them. Orion led the charge, crossbow in hand, killing two rats before they could even react. Coming soon after were Brutus, Arthur, Sullivan, and many others. Within seconds the first group fell without even getting a shot off, but Orion knew he wouldn't be so lucky every time.

They didn't even pause for a breath. Orion led them forward once more to the next group, a smaller number. And in an instant, five more rats fell. Orion and his men stopped to reload. Orion had his clip halfway in when one of Jenner's rats stumbled across them, delivering a message from the outside. His eyes bulged out at the site, and turned to flee. Orion dropped his unloaded crossbow, pulled out a knife from his belt, and threw it. The blade buried itself to the hilt between the shoulder blades of the hapless rat, sending him to the ground in a twisted heap.

"He was a messenger," Arthur said. "He wasn't armed. I'll bet anything he's supposed to report back."

"They're gonna notice him missing before long," Orion said. He retrieved his crossbow and finished loading it. "Let's move. The next room had about five more, but after that is the atrium." The atrium he was talking about was a large juncture on hallways that intersected in one place. It was a large open space and would be a difficult assault.

The next group of rats must have heard something because they were on their guard. Orion's men met a blast of arrows as they entered. The rat directly in front of Orion took a bolt right in the middle of his chest. Orion's men quickly fired back, overpowering the group with sheer numbers. Four more of Jenner's rats were dead, but Orion lost two men and four others were wounded.

"Shit," Orion said. "There should have been five rats here. They sent a runner back to warn the others." Orion turned to his men. He had a horde of guards waiting behind him. Ten in the room alone and dozens more were waiting in the hallways behind. "This is it men. They're gonna be ready. Move fast and close in the gap. If we can force them in to close quarters fighting we can definitely over power them. Have your swords ready." He chambered his crossbow. "Kill 'em all."

Orion ran headlong down the hall, with his men a step behind. A few seconds later the hallway opened suddenly into the atrium. Orion fired blindly at the rats waiting for them. His men flooded the room, charging on Jenner's men who had been ready. Jenner's rats fired back, but couldn't keep up with the moving targets. Several arrows flew wildly. Arthur took an arrow in his shoulder, but it didn't slow him down. He quickly tore it out, unhindered. Rats on both sides fell. Orion charged on a small group, firing his last rounds, tossing the empty crossbow with one hand and pulling out his sword in the other. With a scream, he brought his sword down on a rat franticly trying to aim at him. Spinning, Orion hit another with his blade before he could get out his own sword. The space between the two opposing forces closed fast and their crossbows became useless. The room broke into a frenzy of swords clanging against each other. Brutus ripped into any opponent with his huge poleax, shredding anything in his path mercilessly. The floor became scared with the blood of rats on both sides, but Orion had been right. His side began outnumbering the other. Jenner's fifteen men often had to fight off more than one rat as Orion's men filled the room. In the chaos, one of Jenner's men escaped, sending word for help.

Just when it seemed the atrium was theirs, Orion's men were suddenly attacked by a fresh swarm of Jenner's rats. They were undaunted though, driven by adrenaline and sheer will power. But this new wave of men was stronger than the previous rats. Jenner had been holding back his most skilled warriors.

Orion tripped over a body, falling to the ground. A would be attacker fell as Orion chopped him across the ankles. Spinning to his back, Orion defended himself again as a rat rushed him, bring his foot up and striking the rat's groin. Orion leapt to his feet, slashing the assailant across the throat. Without a moment to rest, he was fending off yet another of Jenner's warriors. He noticed Jenner's men seemed to be getting higher in rank among the Guards. Suddenly a familiar face confronted him once his last attacker fell.

"Sasha!" Orion said, surprised.

"Good to see you Captain," Sasha said sarcastically, before unleashing her own lightning speed attack.

Orion parried each of her powerful blows, impressed by her skills. "You're pretty good for a schoolteacher," Orion said.

"I picked up a few things these past years," She said.

Orion blocked one of her jabs, but the blade glanced off his shoulder, leaving a gash. Orion punched her square in the nose, flooding her eyes with tears. He struck her sword below the hilt, smashing her fingers with his blade. Sasha dropped her sword and instantly found Orion's blade slashing her stomach. Sasha fell to her knees, doubled over, grabbing her belly with her shredded hands. Ruthlessly, Orion kicked her jaw, standing her upright and drove the tip of his blade into throat, right between her collarbones. Orion stared Sasha down as she spit out a mouthful of blood in his face before dying.

A rat charged on Orion from behind, ready to strike, until Brutus' electric charged poleax crushed him. Blood splashed the back of Orion's neck, sparks stinging his skin. Glancing back, he nodded thanks to the big rat. Kicking the body off his sword, Orion surveyed the carnage. The fighting had stopped. Jenner's remaining soldiers had retreated and a few others had surrendered. The atrium was littered with bodies. Some of them Orion's men, but many more belonged to Jenner. Arthur ripped open his shirt to tie a bandage over his wound, gritting his teeth in pain, but not complaining. Sullivan had used a busted crossbow for a club, reducing it to bloody splinters. Orion was impressed with Sullivan. For a rat his size, he was very nimble. They had turned the tide, depleting Jenner's forces greatly, but the battle was not over quite yet.

As the thunder rumbled over Justin's head again, he couldn't even begin to image what Jenner had planned for the rats of Thorn Valley. And when Jeremy's flight took them through the mountains to the valley clearing, his worst nightmares could not have prepared him. The night air was nearly crimson as huge trails of fire blanketed the ground. Plumes of black smoke joined the dark thunderclouds above.

"Oh my god..." Jeremy said, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Hurry, go! Go!" Justin yelled.

Jeremy's wings beat harder than ever, making it more difficult to slow down for a safe landing. After nearly crashing, Justin, Brenda, and Mr. Ages piled out, confronted with a growing wall of fire that was consuming the farmland and all of its precious crops. Justin starred franticly at the fire, trying to form a plan.

"Jeremy," He said. "Take this basket to the lake, fill it with water and try dumping it on those flames."

Jeremy wrapped his talons around the handle, ready to take off.

"Wait! Wait!" Mr. Ages yelled. He ran up to the basket and retrieved his bag, which contained the NIMH serum. He carefully set the bag down, waving Jeremy to go.

"Go get help," Justin said to Brenda. "And be careful."

"Right," Brenda said, running to the entrance as Justin and Mr. Ages were throwing dirt on the flames. She slowed her run upon seeing the twisted wreck of the main gate. Feeling the first drops of rain hit her, Brenda drew her sword and proceeded through the broken door. Brenda jogged down the dimly lit hallway, searching for signs of life. She heard the snap of the crossbow too late.

The bolt slammed into her left shoulder from behind, knocking her to the ground. She struggled to get up, pushing up with her right arm but another bolt came, this time striking her right shoulder in the front. The force knocked her over onto her back. She could see her attacker now.

Castor and Jenner had been hiding in a crevice, covered in shadows. Castor chambered his crossbow as Jenner held Mrs. Brisby, clamping her mouth shut as she struggled. Jenner began laughing coyly, loosening his grip.

"No! Leave her alone!" Elizabeth screamed, struggling to break free.

"What now," Castor said, a hint of apprehension in his voice. "The others will be finished soon, Jenner. We're running out of options."

"We still have our bargaining chip," Jenner said confidently, motioning towards Elizabeth. "We'll strangle that amulet out of them even if we have to skin her alive. They'll give it to us."

"But you said you have nothing to bargain for with me," Elizabeth said fiercely.

"Let's just say you've suddenly become _very _valuable," Jenner answered.

They each looked up as the sound of rain began beating down from above. Brenda writhed on the ground, trying to suppress the pain of her wounds. "What about her?" Castor asked.

"Finish her off," Jenner said. "This time, don't miss."

"No, let her go!" Elizabeth cried. "You've made your point, leave her alone."

Jenner picked up Elizabeth, spun around and shoved her back to the wall, pinning her up on his eye level. "I've already warned you once Brisby," He snarled. "If you open your mouth again, I'll break your jaw. So stop tempting me, Mrs. Brisby, because you are becoming _very _tempting to me..."

Castor walked away from Jenner has he berated Elizabeth. "I never miss," Castor muttered to himself, giving Jenner's back a dirty look. Castor walked up to Brenda, still lying on her back, a broken arrow in both shoulders. He pointed the crossbow straight down at her head, taking aim. "Say 'goodbye,' Brenda."

Castor's ears perked up a second too late. Behind him, Brutus had run at full speed, his poleax poised high, ready to strike. Before he could raise the bow, Brutus brought his ax sideways across Castor's body with all his might. Electric sparks exploded with the blow. The swing had cleaved Castor's body in half at the waist. The top half flew and hit the wall hard, crumpling like a broken rag doll. The legs stood for a moment before buckling under their own weight and toppled forward, spilling Castor's bloody innards in the dirt.

Jenner turned to see Castor's death. Brutus' strike had also hit Castor's crossbow, blowing it to pieces. A big chunk of shrapnel struck Jenner's hand. He dropped Elizabeth as well as the rope holding her. She immediately ran as Brutus quickly bared down on Jenner.

Recovering quickly, Jenner pulled out his sword and fought off Brutus' attacks. Their blades connected hard, throwing sparks of electricity as they hit. Jenner was ready for Brutus this time, unleashing his own counter attack against the bigger rat. Brutus stood unfazed, his silent eyes glowing with rage as he parried Jenner's swipes. Brutus' ax caught Jenner's blade in one of its groves, and he twisted it down to the ground. With his sword pinned, Jenner backhanded Brutus across the face. Their weapons free again, the two rats slowly sized each other up. Brutus slowly advanced on Jenner, pushing him towards the entrance.

Jenner backed slowly. He saw Brutus' eyes burn, with heated cinder cascading of the rat's ax. Jenner knew this wasn't his fight. "Another time, my big friend," He said, swinging his sword for a glancing hit on the ax before turning tail and retreating. Brutus began to give chase.

"Brutus, don't!" Elizabeth said. Brutus turned to see the mouse tending to Brenda. "She needs help."

Without argument, Brutus took Brenda up in his arms to carry her to the infirmary after slicing the rope from Elizabeth's wrists. "Take her back to the others," Elizabeth said. "And send help. Jenner's burning the farm." Brutus headed back as Elizabeth dashed for the entrance. A large roll of thunder shook the ground.

Elizabeth emerged to find a steady downpour of rain. The fire still burned brightly and she could hear the crackles all the way from the entrance. She saw Jenner fleeing in the direction of the fire. He was running towards two bodies. It was hard to make out through the hazy flames, but Elizabeth thought she saw one taller body and a shorter one. Suddenly realizing who it was, she chased after Jenner, screaming. "Justin! Justin look out!"

Justin turned so fast he nearly slipped on the wet ground, finding Jenner rushing him. Justin brought his sword up, crashing against Jenner's blade.

"So, you made it after all," Jenner sneered. They lashed out in a series of quick strikes, as if warming up for the main event.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Justin said, advancing with his own set of quick slashes. They circled each other in the mud, sizing each other up. "Where's the rest of your cronies, Jenner?" Justin asked. "There's no one else to help you. It looks like to me that whatever your plan was seems to have failed. Why don't you make it easy on yourself and give up?"

"I've seen enough heroics for one day," Jenner said. "It's time your luck ran out." Jenner unleashed a barrage of monumental blows. Each time their swords connected, Justin's hands were stung by the impact. The bones in his wrists cried out in anguish, but he pushed on, blocking everything Jenner threw at him.

The fire began receding with the pouring rain. Justin shook water off his face, tightening his grip on the blade. "Looks like you picked the wrong night to play with fire," Justin said as he heard flames hissing with each additional drop.

"The night is still young," Jenner said. Metal struck metal once more. Each rat was a trained warrior. Each knew the move and counter move to every attack. It was only a matter of strength and concentration as to who would emerge victorious.

Elizabeth watched in panic, as Justin had no effect on Jenner's seemingly invincible force. Even though Justin was able to defend himself as well as unleash his own strong attacks, she couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach. Something bad was going to happen, she could feel it. She could barely watch, trying not to cover her eyes with her hands, but she was also too afraid to look away.

They locked hilts, pushing against each other in a grudge match. Justin's foothold began slipping in the mud under Jenner's overpowering weight, but he countered by punching Jenner in the jaw. Jenner staggered back, his vision blurred. Justin jumped forward, kicking Jenner's chest. Jenner fell to the mud, but as Justin advanced on him, he lashed out with his feet, tripping Justin as well. Jenner scrambled to his knees and tried to bring his sword down. Justin dodged the careless attack, lunging out with his own desperate swing, which Jenner ducked.

Each rat got back to his feet, covered in mud, and managed to catch each other's wrist. Once again, they tried to overpower each other. Jenner pushed and squeezed on Justin's sword arm as Justin did the same to Jenner's arm. Locked in a power struggle, with their weapons temporarily stunted, they could only stab each other with their eyes.

As their arms and bodies twisted, Jenner's sharp teeth gleamed behind his menacing grin. He was slowly gaining strength over Justin. Pushing more than pulling on his side. Justin's eyes blazed with concentration as he tried to out maneuver Jenner's brute strength, but he was unable to break free of their grip.

Justin's feet began slipping underneath him. The mud and the rain not helping his cause. Jenner's strength was slowly wearing down Justin, forcing him lower and lower. Suddenly, Justin threw himself backwards, using Jenner's momentum to his advantage. Justin fell to his back, pulling Jenner on top of him and brought his knee into Jenner's gut. The wind abruptly knocked out of him, Jenner's grip loosened. Justin kicked both feet up, sending Jenner flying over his head and landing on his own back.

A bolt of lightning flashed, lighting up the field as Justin and Jenner struggled once more to their feet. Their muscles aching. Their fur soaked with rain and mud. Neither had gotten much sleep, but neither was willing to give up either. Jenner took both hands to his sword, bringing the blade down with even more crushing force than before. Justin's sword was battered so hard with each hit, he could barely get it swinging back to defend the next attack, let alone release his own attack.

Jenner was striking harder than ever, knowing that every inch of his future depended on each hit he made. He was pushing Justin steadily backwards. Bring down blow after crushing blow. Finally, as Justin raised his sword above his head to block another devastating hit, Jenner's sword shattered Justin's blade. The metal exploded in a cloud of silver dust. Shocked by the power of the hit, Justin couldn't react fast enough. Jenner followed the crashing blow with a lunging stab, straight for Justin's chest. Using the ruined sword handle, Justin tried blocking the stab, but only deflected it. The blade ran him straight through the left kidney. Jenner grabbed Justin's shirt and rammed the sword home to the hilt.

Justin screamed in pain. The blade tore through him like fire. All at once he felt like every inch inside him was burning. Justin's knees caved underneath the pain. Jenner slipped to his knees as well, holding his sword in place.

Elizabeth screamed, as Jenner's wavy sword ran its entire length out Justin's back, covered in glistening red ooze and gore. Its silver tone violently turned dark red. Jenner saw Elizabeth's shocked stare and threw her a wink. "You're next," He said casually.

Justin mustered all the strength he could and crabbed Jenner by the throat. "You'll never touch her," he gritted through his teeth.

Jenner twisted the blade in Justin's guts. Justin released Jenner's throat and grabbed his sword arm instead, screaming and trying to stop the earth shattering pain. Every nerve, every cell, felt as if it were trying to rip itself in two. "It hurts, doesn't it?" Jenner said. "Trust me, I know." Jenner twisted the blade the other direction, sending a new set of shockwaves through Justin's body. He smiled at the torment he caused. "You _failed_, Justin. You failed. You failed to protect _her_. You failed to save the others. And do you know _why _you failed? Because you care too much. Because you're weak... You will always be weaker than I." Justin's eyes nearly clamped shut, his teeth crushing themselves trying to handle the pain. "You can't beat me, Justin! You never had a chance. You never had a single chance! There's no stopping what can't be stopped! There's no killing what can't be killed! You can't stop me!"

Justin found the energy to open his eyes. Looking at Jenner, he saw the hands of death closing over him. "But don't worry about it, Justin," Jenner said. "You won't be lonely for too long. Your girlfriend over there will be joining you shortly. That is, as soon as I've had my way with her."

Thunder and lightning lit the scene again as Justin's world stopped in time. His eyes burned like the fires of hell itself. His strength returned as his vision cleared. "_Never_._"_ Justin's right hand let go of the sword and reached for Jenner's belt. Justin raised his hand up high, stealing one of Jenner's own knives, and brought it down with all his strength, right into Jenner's shoulder, ramming it to the hilt as well.

Jenner was thrown back, screaming in pain. He slipped in the mud and fell forward, landing on the stabbed shoulder. Getting to his knees, Jenner grabbed the knife and wrenched it free from his shoulder.

As Jenner fell back, Justin collapsed in pain, falling on his hands and knees. But he gave himself no time to rest. Justin grabbed the handle of Jenner's sword, and, screaming at the top of his lungs, pulled the length of the blade out, tearing it over his burning insides. Tasting the copper of his own blood, Justin pushed himself up to his feet, circling around on Jenner just as he pulled the knife from his shoulder.

Jenner looked up in time to see Justin, wielding his own sword like a hellish baseball bat, bring the blade swinging across his throat. Jenner's head severed at the neck. A geyser of blood erupted from his shoulders like a crimson volcano. The cut was so clean that Jenner's scream could be heard moments after the slash. The amount of force Justin put behind the swing sent the bloody head flying into the fire. The body simply fell down. Its heart still beating, pumping blood out heavily through the jugular, not realizing it was dead.

Justin immediately fell to his back, unable to take the pain anymore as his wounds bled freely. Elizabeth rushed to his side. The still blazing, but dying fire on one side, and Jenner's headless body on the other. She began crying franticly. "Justin, hold on. Please! Hold on. You'll be okay. Please, just stay with me!" She leaned forward, protecting his head from the falling rain, and took his hand in hers

Justin choked and coughed, hacking blood onto his chest. His face grimaced in pain. Justin tried looking up at her, but his vision began dimming. He squeezed her hand tightly, as if holding it would stop him from falling of the earth itself. Coughing again, he held his side in agony. "It's pretty bad," he wheezed, barley above a whisper. "I did what I could," He said, his voice trailing off. "I did what I could... I wasn't going to let him touch you."

"And you did," Elizabeth said desperately. "You stopped him. You stopped Jenner. You stopped Schultz. You saved everyone, Justin. Now you have to stay! You have to see it! We need you," Tears began streaming down her face, becoming one with the rain. "I need you... Justin, Please! Stay with me! Help is coming, please, just hold on. They can fix you. You'll be okay, I swear-"

"No," Justin said, so faint Elizabeth had to lower her ear to his mouth to hear. "No... They can't. Only one thing can..."

Justin's voice trailed off again. His body started to curl up in pain. Elizabeth began crying uncontrollably. She put her head on his chest to make sure he was still breathing. In a fit of tears she saw something coming towards her. It was dark and blurry. She had to wipe away her tears to make it out. She was suddenly aware of Mr. Ages near her side.

There, in the pouring rain, was a group of rats. Orion, Sarah, Sullivan, her children, and many others, but most importantly, there was Brutus, carrying Nicodemus in his arms. Several rats began tending to the fire, but just as many converged on Justin and Elizabeth. Sullivan heaved aside Jenner's body in disgust, clearing room for Brutus. The big rat gently let Nicodemus down. In the old rat's hands was the amulet. Elizabeth's eyes went wide.

"Nicodemus, the amulet. It can save Justin, I know it can!" Elizabeth pleaded. "Please use it. It can save him! I know it can, it can save him!"

"I cannot," Nicodemus said weakly.

Elizabeth was taken aback, as if she had been hit in the head. "But, you have to. It's the only thing. He said there was only one thing that could save him. That has to be it. You must use it!"

"My body is too weak, Mrs. Brisby," Nicodemus said. "I do not have enough life force to save him. The effort would kill both of us." He interrupted before she could speak. "You must do it, Mrs. Brisby. Only you can save him." He handed over the amulet to her. Its red surface instantly glowed brighter. "You have done it before, Mrs. Brisby. You have the gift. You have the courage and the strength. Justin's wounds are very deep. He can be saved, but you _must _concentrate. Do not think of anything else but him. Clear your mind of everything. Think only thoughts of him, and how much he means to you. Put away all of your other worries and fears." He paused, looking at her shaking eyes. "_Concentrate_, Mrs. Brisby."

Elizabeth looked down in her trembling hands at the amulet. She felt it pulsating in her grip, as if it were a living, breathing creature. She could feel its heart beating. Wrapping the amulet's chain around her hand, Elizabeth felt its warmth surround her. The sensation was burning, yet soothing. Her skin tingled as every strand of fur danced on end. But there was something else. Another heartbeat, only not as strong. A fading heartbeat. Elizabeth looked down at Justin and suddenly realized it was his heart she felt. She could feel his life in her hands. She felt his heart beat. She felt every blood cell pump through his veins. She felt every electrical pulse, every neuron firing, every inch of his body down to the very atoms it was composed of.

Opening her eyes, Elizabeth realized everything in her vision seemed blurred. Her world came to her through a red haze. The power of the amulet engulfed her, feeding her with power she always had, tapping into the courage that was always there. Justin's body was in front of her. It was dying. He was dying. _No! _She thought. _Justin can't die. Justin... can't... die!_

A surge of power beyond her mind's comprehension exploded within her. A gleaming shockwave blasted out of her, spreading in all directions. There was light everywhere. Blinding to the eye. The power manifested itself inside her body, radiating a powerful glow so bright it lit the night sky. Waves of energy flowed through her. Waves of energy, time, space, matter, light, love, and most of all, life. It was all there. It was all her. The two became one. The physical world became something else, something far more than she understood. Reality had been broken apart to its most basic components, and she controlled it all. Silently, effortlessly. She could see the very life force of every being around her. She saw the lives of the other rats surrounding her. She could see Justin's life fading, and she could see her own life before her, in its most visible, simplest form: Pure energy.

Putting her hands on Justin's chest, Elizabeth brought him into her world. His was a world of life and death. Her's was a world without end. A world beyond the boundaries of life and death, of time and space. In her world, time stood still, because she was in control. In her world, life was a tangible entity, an entity she controlled. And she directed her life, her spirit, her soul, the essence of her very being itself, straight into Justin.

Everything burned. She was forcing her world without laws into a world based on rules. Forcing life into lifelessness. The two worlds collided, but hers was stronger, and she was in control. The fire and the light cascaded in an upward spiral. Growing hotter and brighter. Burning, blinding, searing heat forced the two realms together until at last it could merge no more and the two became one.

In a blinding flash of brilliant light, it was gone. Elizabeth collapsed on top of Justin as the rain subsided. Her mind and body drained. Only seconds had passed, but to her it was centuries. Her body couldn't take anymore. It demanded rest, but she forced herself to stay away. She had to see.

With every ounce of strength she could scrape from the inside of her weathered soul, she lifted her head enough to see Justin's face. Her body, her muscles, her bones begged her to stop. Told her to rest. To sleep. But she wouldn't listen. She had to know. She fought off her drifting conscience as it began wandering off into sleep with or without her. Struggling with every cell of her body to see.

Justin lay still. The pain gone from his face. His eyelids lay closed in peace, beyond any feeling he had ever known. Finally, his eyes opened, ever so slightly. Justin felt himself in the presence of some kind of other worldly warmth. He realized that it was Elizabeth at his side that was causing the warmth. Everything that was before had become non existent for that moment. For their moment.

He saw Elizabeth quietly hovering over his head. There was nothing else. No sound. No pain. No fear. Only her. Their eyes met for what seemed the first time in a thousand years, yet it seemed so familiar that nothing else would be right. He blinked, wondering if he was looking at an angel for a moment. Then something deep inside him told him he was. But she was a different kind of angel. He smiled.

Elizabeth knew then she had done it, and smiled too. Her body, drained beyond anything she had ever known, pleaded for rest, but she wasn't ready. Not quite yet. They laid there, in the moments after the storm, holding each other's life in their arms. Their eyes closed, and they kissed.


	12. Chapter 11: To the Hilt

**Darkest Days**

by J.C. Foster

**Epilogue**

**"Violent Peace"**

Justin walked down the long hall out to the main entrance. There was a cool breeze that evening and he wore his cape to hide from the chill. Most rats were coming in from a day in the fields, nodding to Justin as they passed. It had been a little over a week since Jenner and his minions were defeated. Those that surrendered were locked away until Justin and the others could figure out to do with them. Most likely they would be exiled.

Justin stepped outside. The mangled front gate had been dug out of the hillside and rested in a twisted metal heap not far from the entrance until it could be cut into scrap. Looking at the gorged metal, Justin couldn't help but grip his sword handle on his belt. There was really no practical use for him to wear the sword, as all of Jenner's men were contained safely. It just made him more comfortable. He shifted his feet and looked up at the impossibly gray clouds.

"Looks like rain," Said Jacob as he passed Justin.

"Yeah," Justin said absently. "Looks that way."

They nodded and Justin continued walking, going over the recent events in his head. The deaths of Jenner and Schultz, as well as many of his comrades and enemies who had sided with Jenner. The idea of the community dividing frightened Justin. He wondered if he would be able to lead them beyond this catastrophe. So much chaos and death. It was the kind of thing nightmares were made of.

He watched the remaining rats pack it in for the night. Jacob had done a remarkable job with the farm. There had only been a small percentage lost to the fire. Luckily the flames had not gotten too deep before the rain extinguished them. Justin was going to head home for the night as well in a moment, to his new family. He smiled. There was so much he and the rats owed to Elizabeth. They owed their lives, twice, to her as she warned them of NIMH. But most of all, Justin owed his life to her personally. Nicodemus was the only other person who could use the amulet, and he had been drained of almost all his energy heeling those who had been severely injured during the battle with Jenner. There had been no way Nicodemus could have saved Justin. Only Elizabeth.

Justin absently rubbed his side where Jenner's sword had pierced him. There was no scar, no trace of there ever being a scratch there, but he would have died had it not been for her. And Nicodemus had been careful enough to warn her on using the stone's power, not to exceed beyond what she needed to. Had she unleashed the power carelessly like she did that night back at the farmhouse, she would have thinned herself out over the many dead rats inside the lair. The effort would have killed her, and in the end, those rats had been dead for too long to save anyway. It was all a weird concept. Justin tried not to dwell on it, since he didn't really get it. He just listened to what Nicodemus told him and accepted it at face value.

_Think of the future_, he told himself. He didn't want to be the kind of person to live in the past. They all had a new future ahead of them. They had no more fear of NIMH discovering them. Their only internal cancer, Jenner, had been cut away. Everything looked bright. But there had been more questions brought up. Justin's mind couldn't help but wonder about the other group of rats that supposedly escaped from NIMH. The rats that had come before them. The Alpha Group. Were they still alive? Had they ended up in a similar situation and created their own colony?

_In the future, Justin. All in the future_. He smiled again. Content with life for the first time that he could remember. He had stability. He had a comfortable life. And most of all, he had Elizabeth. Just the thought of her always being there whenever he wanted to see her was enough to warm his skin.

The others were okay as well. Nicodemus had recovered after some rest. Brenda's wounds looked like they would heal without any problems. Arthur half-heartedly joked that Brutus should have left Castor for him to take care of, but he had been very concerned for Brenda's health, and was the greatest relieved upon hearing the good news. Dietrich's leg looked like it would heal, although there was a good chance he would have a slight limp. Orion's cuts would be fine, unfortunately his ear was too damaged to save. He didn't let it bother him, though, feeling it gave him character. Sarah was coming along fine too. The emotional distress of the situation pushed her to fight her own fears within her. She looked fairly happy most of the time, which was a good sign. Justin had a feeling that from that point on, she would feel a lot better about her life, and that she and Orion would have a very long lasting relationship.

_Relationship_. He thought. That's what was on his mind as he walked. He was entering into the kind of relationship he had only had once before. A time that seemed like a thousand years ago. He had no hesitations. He dearly loved Elizabeth and wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. Not the issue of species, or age, or that she had children. He was more than willing to become a father to her children. In fact, he looked forward to it. As for their age gap, Mr. Ages was more than confident that his serum would replicate the same effects as what NIMH had done to them. And the species question? Well, some things just weren't important. What _was _important to Justin was moving ahead with a clear conscience.

Justin reached the graveyard, tucked around a corner from the lair. Not too far, but not too close. Sadly, there had been many recent additions to the cemetery. Even those rats who had betrayed them deserved a rightful burial ground. Justin walked past the graves of many rats he had known both as good friends and acquaintances, nodding and paying his respects to each in his head, giving a special thanks to Max for his sacrifice. He paid his respects to Jessica's grave. They had discovered her body after a great deal of searching and interrogation had turned it up at the bottom of the valley lake. It had been a grisly affair, but at least she had a place to rest. Then he stopped in front of a grave that was actually only a memorial stone. The body had been buried long before they had come to Thorn Valley. Justin knelt down, took a large rose out of his cape, and placed it before the gravestones of his first wife and newborn daughter.

"It's been a long time, Selina," Justin said aloud. "So much has happened recently..." His voice trailed off. Justin sat silent for several minutes before speaking again. "I think you know why I'm here. I'm not here to say goodbye. Not to you or our little girl. Because I'll never forget either of you. You both mean so much to me..." The wind picked up, blowing Justin's cape around. "I guess I've come here to tell you I'm moving on. I will always have a special place in my heart for you, but I've met someone, Selina. Someone who is very special to me. Someone who I love very much. I know that if you can hear me or see me that you probably already know this, but I guess I wanted to tell you myself. To say it out loud... I hope that you don't think badly of me. I don't believe that you would, but I guess in a way, I wanted your approval. I want to know if what I'm doing is okay..."

Justin remained unmoving for several minutes. He just knelt there, looking at the ground, feeling the cool breeze, listening to the sounds of the valley. He felt a warmth pass over his skin, like the kind of warmth one got from the sun. Only the sun wasn't out, just dark clouds. Justin took it as a sign and smiled.

Justin stood and kissed the top of her headstone. "Rest."

He walked away, passing other graves as he went, then abruptly stopped before one of them. Justin looked down at Jenner's grave. The dirt still fresh. Memories flashed over Justin's mind. Some good, most bad. Jenner had indeed been a force in his life. He had changed the course of their history. But now he was dead. No longer posing a threat to anyone.

"And you," Justin said. "I don't care what you think." Justin always thought it was bad to speak ill of the dead, no matter who it was. But in this case he made an exception. He knelt down low to the grave. "I hope that where ever you're at that you feel _very _uncomfortable right now."

The dirt stirred below. Justin looked down only to be blinded by a sudden blast of dust and dirt in his eyes. Gagging, Justin felt something grabbing his neck, choking him. His hands felt a furry arm clasped around his throat. When the dust cleared, Justin was staring into the eyes of Jenner himself.

Justin scrambled back, breaking free of the chokehold. He got to his feet; watching the scene erupt in front of him. The dirt of Jenner's grave split apart and flew up in the air. Jenner emerged, covered in mud, tattered clothes, and his own blood. A thick gash ran across his neck, dripping dark red gore. There was a huge stream of blood that soaked his shirt, going down from the shoulder. Justin back-peddled slowly, his jaw open and mind reeling. _No_, he thought. _No. This can't be happening_!

There was no more time to think. Jenner pulled out his sword, looking as if it had been decayed and rusted for many years. Jenner's eyes blazed with anger as he bared his rotten teeth, ready to strike. Justin instinctively drew his sword, blocking Jenner's attack. Everything seemed to move too slowly. There was something deliberate and machine like to Jenner's movements. He remained silent, attacking Justin with his rusted sword.

Justin dodged and parried easily. Honed by his years of practice. He didn't understand how it was happening, but somehow he knew he was in control. As if he knew Jenner couldn't hurt him. In a flash of speed, Justin knocked the blade from Jenner's grasp and slashed him over the chest. As Jenner doubled over in pain, Justin moved behind him, raised his sword, and drove the blade straight down into Jenner's back.

Pulling the blade free, Justin looked around, hurriedly out of breath. Jenner's body crumpled and lay still. Justin looked back at the grave which was now undisturbed, as if nothing had happened. _Did it happen? _He wondered. Looking down, Justin was surprised to find the body missing.

Thunder rumbled overhead. Justin looked up at the hopelessly black clouds. They seemed to sit perfectly still without moving, even though there was a strong breeze. Justin dropped to his knees, staring at the ground. _Am I crazy? _He thought. All of the sudden, he realized he wasn't alone.

Justin looked up. Standing all around him, in the unbearably dark night, was a circle of large rats. Rats he had never seen before. Justin spun in all directions. They were everywhere, surrounding him. They were tall and muscular, and they all wore long black cloaks. And every single one of them had glowing eyes, just like Brutus and Nicodemus. Only these rats were different. Behind their glowing eyes was something deeper, darker, scarier than anything Justin had ever known. They stood silently, what looked like ten of them, all around Justin. He stared at them, catching his breath when one of them finally moved. The rat directly in front of him, who looked just a little bigger than the rest, raised his arm, reaching his hand out. Justin's blood ran cold as the rat's eyes burned brighter than ever.

With a start, Justin awoke in the darkened room. He was lying in bed. It was late. His body felt tense, like he had just been burning adrenaline. His heart raced and his skin was covered in goose bumps. Justin shivered, even though he was half covered with a blanket. He slowly realized where he was.

He looked around the dark room. There was no light save for the small shaft coming under the door from the dimly lit hallway. The embers of the room's stove had long ago died, but it wasn't that chilly. Elizabeth was asleep peacefully, her back next to him. The touch of her skin warmed his body, bringing him back to the real world. He became aware of the lightly tapping sound of rain coming from above.

Justin looked around the room one last time before lying down. His movement in the bed caused Elizabeth to shift in her sleep. He curled his body up next to hers, sharing their warmth, and pulling the blanket up. He wrapped his arm over her and closed his eyes. Sleeping an uneasy sleep.


	13. Epilogue: Violent Peace

Justin walked down the long hall out to the main entrance. There was a cool breeze that evening and he wore his cape to hide from the chill. Most rats were coming in from a day in the fields, nodding to Justin as they passed. It had been a little over a week since Jenner and his minions were defeated. Those that surrendered were locked away until Justin and the others could figure out to do with them. Most likely they would be exiled.

Justin stepped outside. The mangled front gate had been dug out of the hillside and rested in a twisted metal heap not far from the entrance until it could be cut into scrap. Looking at the gorged metal, Justin couldn't help but grip his sword handle on his belt. There was really no practical use for him to wear the sword, as all of Jenner's men were contained safely. It just made him more comfortable. He shifted his feet and looked up at the impossibly gray clouds.

"Looks like rain," Said Jacob as he passed Justin.

"Yeah," Justin said absently. "Looks that way."

They nodded and Justin continued walking, going over the recent events in his head. The deaths of Jenner and Schultz, as well as many of his comrades and enemies who had sided with Jenner. The idea of the community dividing frightened Justin. He wondered if he would be able to lead them beyond this catastrophe. So much chaos and death. It was the kind of thing nightmares were made of.

He watched the remaining rats pack it in for the night. Jacob had done a remarkable job with the farm. There had only been a small percentage lost to the fire. Luckily the flames had not gotten too deep before the rain extinguished them. Justin was going to head home for the night as well in a moment, to his new family. He smiled. There was so much he and the rats owed to Elizabeth. They owed their lives, twice, to her as she warned them of NIMH. But most of all, Justin owed his life to her personally. Nicodemus was the only other person who could use the amulet, and he had been drained of almost all his energy heeling those who had been severely injured during the battle with Jenner. There had been no way Nicodemus could have saved Justin. Only Elizabeth.

Justin absently rubbed his side where Jenner's sword had pierced him. There was no scar, no trace of there ever being a scratch there, but he would have died had it not been for her. And Nicodemus had been careful enough to warn her on using the stone's power, not to exceed beyond what she needed to. Had she unleashed the power carelessly like she did that night back at the farmhouse, she would have thinned herself out over the many dead rats inside the lair. The effort would have killed her, and in the end, those rats had been dead for too long to save anyway. It was all a weird concept. Justin tried not to dwell on it, since he didn't really get it. He just listened to what Nicodemus told him and accepted it at face value.

_Think of the future_, he told himself. He didn't want to be the kind of person to live in the past. They all had a new future ahead of them. They had no more fear of NIMH discovering them. Their only internal cancer, Jenner, had been cut away. Everything looked bright. But there had been more questions brought up. Justin's mind couldn't help but wonder about the other group of rats that supposedly escaped from NIMH. The rats that had come before them. The Alpha Group. Were they still alive? Had they ended up in a similar situation and created their own colony?

_In the future, Justin. All in the future_. He smiled again. Content with life for the first time that he could remember. He had stability. He had a comfortable life. And most of all, he had Elizabeth. Just the thought of her always being there whenever he wanted to see her was enough to warm his skin.

The others were okay as well. Nicodemus had recovered after some rest. Brenda's wounds looked like they would heal without any problems. Arthur half-heartedly joked that Brutus should have left Castor for him to take care of, but he had been very concerned for Brenda's health, and was the greatest relieved upon hearing the good news. Dietrich's leg looked like it would heal, although there was a good chance he would have a slight limp. Orion's cuts would be fine, unfortunately his ear was too damaged to save. He didn't let it bother him, though, feeling it gave him character. Sarah was coming along fine too. The emotional distress of the situation pushed her to fight her own fears within her. She looked fairly happy most of the time, which was a good sign. Justin had a feeling that from that point on, she would feel a lot better about her life, and that she and Orion would have a very long lasting relationship.

_Relationship_. He thought. That's what was on his mind as he walked. He was entering into the kind of relationship he had only had once before. A time that seemed like a thousand years ago. He had no hesitations. He dearly loved Elizabeth and wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. Not the issue of species, or age, or that she had children. He was more than willing to become a father to her children. In fact, he looked forward to it. As for their age gap, Mr. Ages was more than confident that his serum would replicate the same effects as what NIMH had done to them. And the species question? Well, some things just weren't important. What _was _important to Justin was moving ahead with a clear conscience.

Justin reached the graveyard, tucked around a corner from the lair. Not too far, but not too close. Sadly, there had been many recent additions to the cemetery. Even those rats who had betrayed them deserved a rightful burial ground. Justin walked past the graves of many rats he had known both as good friends and acquaintances, nodding and paying his respects to each in his head, giving a special thanks to Max for his sacrifice. He paid his respects to Jessica's grave. They had discovered her body after a great deal of searching and interrogation had turned it up at the bottom of the valley lake. It had been a grisly affair, but at least she had a place to rest. Then he stopped in front of a grave that was actually only a memorial stone. The body had been buried long before they had come to Thorn Valley. Justin knelt down, took a large rose out of his cape, and placed it before the gravestones of his first wife and newborn daughter.

"It's been a long time, Selina," Justin said aloud. "So much has happened recently..." His voice trailed off. Justin sat silent for several minutes before speaking again. "I think you know why I'm here. I'm not here to say goodbye. Not to you or our little girl. Because I'll never forget either of you. You both mean so much to me..." The wind picked up, blowing Justin's cape around. "I guess I've come here to tell you I'm moving on. I will always have a special place in my heart for you, but I've met someone, Selina. Someone who is very special to me. Someone who I love very much. I know that if you can hear me or see me that you probably already know this, but I guess I wanted to tell you myself. To say it out loud... I hope that you don't think badly of me. I don't believe that you would, but I guess in a way, I wanted your approval. I want to know if what I'm doing is okay..."

Justin remained unmoving for several minutes. He just knelt there, looking at the ground, feeling the cool breeze, listening to the sounds of the valley. He felt a warmth pass over his skin, like the kind of warmth one got from the sun. Only the sun wasn't out, just dark clouds. Justin took it as a sign and smiled.

Justin stood and kissed the top of her headstone. "Rest."

He walked away, passing other graves as he went, then abruptly stopped before one of them. Justin looked down at Jenner's grave. The dirt still fresh. Memories flashed over Justin's mind. Some good, most bad. Jenner had indeed been a force in his life. He had changed the course of their history. But now he was dead. No longer posing a threat to anyone.

"And you," Justin said. "I don't care what you think." Justin always thought it was bad to speak ill of the dead, no matter who it was. But in this case he made an exception. He knelt down low to the grave. "I hope that where ever you're at that you feel _very _uncomfortable right now."

The dirt stirred below. Justin looked down only to be blinded by a sudden blast of dust and dirt in his eyes. Gagging, Justin felt something grabbing his neck, choking him. His hands felt a furry arm clasped around his throat. When the dust cleared, Justin was staring into the eyes of Jenner himself.

Justin scrambled back, breaking free of the chokehold. He got to his feet; watching the scene erupt in front of him. The dirt of Jenner's grave split apart and flew up in the air. Jenner emerged, covered in mud, tattered clothes, and his own blood. A thick gash ran across his neck, dripping dark red gore. There was a huge stream of blood that soaked his shirt, going down from the shoulder. Justin back-peddled slowly, his jaw open and mind reeling. _No_, he thought. _No. This can't be happening_!

There was no more time to think. Jenner pulled out his sword, looking as if it had been decayed and rusted for many years. Jenner's eyes blazed with anger as he bared his rotten teeth, ready to strike. Justin instinctively drew his sword, blocking Jenner's attack. Everything seemed to move too slowly. There was something deliberate and machine like to Jenner's movements. He remained silent, attacking Justin with his rusted sword.

Justin dodged and parried easily. Honed by his years of practice. He didn't understand how it was happening, but somehow he knew he was in control. As if he knew Jenner couldn't hurt him. In a flash of speed, Justin knocked the blade from Jenner's grasp and slashed him over the chest. As Jenner doubled over in pain, Justin moved behind him, raised his sword, and drove the blade straight down into Jenner's back.

Pulling the blade free, Justin looked around, hurriedly out of breath. Jenner's body crumpled and lay still. Justin looked back at the grave which was now undisturbed, as if nothing had happened. _Did it happen? _He wondered. Looking down, Justin was surprised to find the body missing.

Thunder rumbled overhead. Justin looked up at the hopelessly black clouds. They seemed to sit perfectly still without moving, even though there was a strong breeze. Justin dropped to his knees, staring at the ground. _Am I crazy? _He thought. All of the sudden, he realized he wasn't alone.

Justin looked up. Standing all around him, in the unbearably dark night, was a circle of large rats. Rats he had never seen before. Justin spun in all directions. They were everywhere, surrounding him. They were tall and muscular, and they all wore long black cloaks. And every single one of them had glowing eyes, just like Brutus and Nicodemus. Only these rats were different. Behind their glowing eyes was something deeper, darker, scarier than anything Justin had ever known. They stood silently, what looked like ten of them, all around Justin. He stared at them, catching his breath when one of them finally moved. The rat directly in front of him, who looked just a little bigger than the rest, raised his arm, reaching his hand out. Justin's blood ran cold as the rat's eyes burned brighter than ever.

With a start, Justin awoke in the darkened room. He was lying in bed. It was late. His body felt tense, like he had just been burning adrenaline. His heart raced and his skin was covered in goose bumps. Justin shivered, even though he was half covered with a blanket. He slowly realized where he was.

He looked around the dark room. There was no light save for the small shaft coming under the door from the dimly lit hallway. The embers of the room's stove had long ago died, but it wasn't that chilly. Elizabeth was asleep peacefully, her back next to him. The touch of her skin warmed his body, bringing him back to the real world. He became aware of the lightly tapping sound of rain coming from above.

Justin looked around the room one last time before lying down. His movement in the bed caused Elizabeth to shift in her sleep. He curled his body up next to hers, sharing their warmth, and pulling the blanket up. He wrapped his arm over her and closed his eyes. Sleeping an uneasy sleep.


End file.
